Sarah Lorge Butler gave Craig extensive space to keep generating the positive spin on NOP, Pete Julian and the other NOP athletes.
Among many anecdotes showing Craig’s freewheeling approach to life, he also cites Sifan’s numerous OOC tests in St Moritz as proof that she is clean.
Balanced coverage by RW and refreshing perspective from Craig, or brainwashed pro-Nike swill?
Editor's note: We've changed the title of this thread. It was initially entitled, "Craig Engels in Runners World."
Craig Engels on Hassan: "I’ll defend her to the death..She is the hardest worker I’ve ever seen in this sport."
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https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a29590476/craig-engels-eventful-offseason/
The quotes regarding Hassan the end the story are fascinating. I think I'll make this QOD for Sunday.
Butler wrote:
“The crazy thing is how many times Sifan is drug tested,” Engels said. “When we were in St. Moritz [at altitude before worlds], I was there for three weeks and I think she probably got tested eight times. If someone is dirty, there is no way they are getting around eight tests.
“Also, she is literally the hardest worker,” he continued. “She hates me, by the way. I posted about Pete, and she absolutely hated it. She thought it made it seem like Alberto’s group was dirty and ours wasn’t. But I’ll defend her to the death. She does harder workouts than I do. She is the hardest worker I’ve ever seen in this sport. It’s crazy the workouts she does. And like, I don’t know—her whole world is about running and everything. It’s cool that’s her world, but I could never do that.” -
It's hard to take anything seriously from Craig "good time fun guy" Engels.
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Isn’t the biggest reason to push the envelope (or more) pharmaceutically to be able to do “crazy” workouts that will benefit you (and/or then be able to recover from them and do them again)? That someone is a hard worker or cares about their recovery is entirely unrelated to the discussion of whether they do or don’t use PEDs.
Also, remember that this is the guy whose Twitter bio, until at least several months if not a year-plus into his pro career, read something along the lines of “ten twos is the same as two tens.” He might be fun to hang out with if you’re a certain type of personality, and he might be a really solid international-caliber runner, but he’s not someone whose judgment is above reproach. -
Get you a friend like Craig Engels, everyone
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“She hates me, by the way. I posted about Pete, and she absolutely hated it. She thought it made it seem like Alberto’s group was dirty and ours wasn’t."
So what is it, Pete's group is the same as Alberto's or Alberto's is the same as Pete's? -
Craig is an obvious liar. Craig says he is willing to die defending Hassan. I cannot tolerate these kind of liars.
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Craig clearly doesn't know how this works.
Lance was the most tested on the planet.
If Hassan gets tested 8 times in 3 weeks, that's not proof that she is clean, it's because the testers know she is dirty and she is gaming the system. -
You've gotta appreciate the guy. Maybe his judgment is good, maybe it's bad, but we do know that he's not hiding things. He just says whatever comes out of his mouth. It's entertaining, it gives us pure insight into this mess. You guys always complain about guarded runners, and we've been gifted with Craig. Make up your mind.
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alcibiades wrote:
You've gotta appreciate the guy. Maybe his judgment is good, maybe it's bad, but we do know that he's not hiding things. He just says whatever comes out of his mouth. It's entertaining, it gives us pure insight into this mess. You guys always complain about guarded runners, and we've been gifted with Craig. Make up your mind.
You say that Craig “says whatever comes out of his mouth.” Do you know anybody who does not? I mean, you can drool, vomit, etc., so other things can come out of your mouth but... -
ezrzerze wrote:
Craig clearly doesn't know how this works.
Lance was the most tested on the planet.
If Hassan gets tested 8 times in 3 weeks, that's not proof that she is clean, it's because the testers know she is dirty and she is gaming the system.
Again, this is why the sport is a joke to most of the world.
If you are fast, you are doping.
If you are charismatic and open, you are stupid and gullible.
If you pass every drug test ever, it's doesn't matter because Lance Armstrong did the same.
I wish I could throat punch ever one of you motherfuckers that are ruining our sport! -
ah, you know what I mean. whatever pops in his head.
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alcibiades wrote:
ah, you know what I mean. whatever pops in his head.
We have no way of knowing this. Craig might be engaging in what appears to be authentic banter but it could be that he is deep down thinking that if he appears to be spontaneous and genuine that people will not scrutinize what remains hidden in the inner recesses of what passes for his mind. -
That's true. It could be a carefully enacted show for the public. But I sometimes think that one would have to be a better actor/actress than runner to present such a totally plausible public persona but in reality be schemer and doper.
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Outside of this dying sport and more so in the grander scheme wrote:
Get you a friend like Craig Engels, everyone
Indeed. I'm liking Engels more and more.
Seeing honest and kind hearted people like him is refreshing, especially in this world that's been dominated by a--holes. -
dunes runner wrote:
Outside of this dying sport and more so in the grander scheme wrote:
Get you a friend like Craig Engels, everyone
Indeed. I'm liking Engels more and more.
Seeing honest and kind hearted people like him is refreshing, especially in this world that's been dominated by a--holes.
Some of you are so good at spotting honesty. Amazing... -
Does he live in an RV?
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While I'm not going to say whether Hassan is clean or not (the association with NOP and Salazar is without a doubt highly suspicious), Engels argument is based on nothing than him liking her and being on the same team.
Being the hardest worker IS a fact that actually makes it more likely she would be doing something off the rules. Why?
Many of the "hardest working" people, like Lance Armstrong, El Guerrouj, Marion Jones, etc. were able to work so hard and put in tremendous training amounts and "superhero-sessions" (whether in winning race after race in the TdF or doing all runs at sub 5 pace like El G) BECAUSE of the PEDs. If a clean runner would do that, they would completely break down under the workload. Drugs allow these athletes to do the most volume, hardest workouts and become the "hardest workers" simply based on what they do in workouts.
Engels is literally saying that Hassan is mentally stronger than all the other elite women which is also highly doubtful. Maybe more talent, but definitely not harder working than other world-class 1500, 10k or HM runners. -
El G done all his runs under 5 min pace, I didn’t know that.
What sort of mileage was he running? -
What Hassan has done is unprecedented. She's the best from 1500 to 10k simultaneously and also at the top at the half and may break the WR. She could have even won the 5k at Doha too. I'm not buying that it's all done clean.
