a skeptic and cynic..... wrote:
Laterunner phil needs to get his head out of the sand. I thought the shoes were a farce at first because of the sub 2 pacing and blocking the wind. After a couple years, I am totally convinced the shoes are worth at least a couple minutes for a marathon or 4 to 5 seconds per mile.
The reality now is that a lot of companies have similar shoes but we don't know if they are as good yet.
I totally agree with Latrunner Phil, whose post pointed out that the course was the key factor here, NOT the shoes. This is particularly true in the women's race, where as far as I can tell, the top four were NOT wearing the shoes that many people on this site thinks have destroyed running as a sport. (obviously, I disagree.)
We would have had a far different result in the women's race (and maybe even the men's although Rupp showed that when healthy, he is the one elite U.S. male marathoner. ) if the course had been flat. Then, that's when the speed boost from the Nikes would have come into play.
I love the inspirational aspects of Tuliamuk and Seidel's stories--in fact, their post-race interviews actually brought tears to my eyes. I'm an old guy with daughters who ran, and I'm thinking of the desperation of immigrants and on a different socio-economic plane, how many of my daughters competitors were suffering from eating disorders. But does anyone really think that those two would have prevailed on a flat course? I don't. It would have been Linden, Sisson, or maybe Hall. That would have been a much stronger team, in my opinion. As for the men, after Rupp, the final two would have been completely different.
In any case, the course was decided under different circumstances, and although now that the Olympics route has changed, it puts the U.S. at even more of a disadvantage then usual, I'm happy with the first two of the women's team (As a track fan, unlike Tuliamuk, I have a little trouble with Kipyego's late citizenship, although in general, I welcome her as a fellow American). The men's result, I feel was totally distorted by the course. But not, in this case, by the shoes.