Although I see why they do it, that to me is a flawed system where funding is prioritised into sports that are less global, less accessible and therefore less competitive than athletics. For example, over 200 countries competed in athletics at the last Olympics, while less than a third of that total (65) took part in sailing (which receives more money).
Athletics (General Discussion)
- Thread starter SilentWitness
- Start date
Some unreal running already indoors this year.
Hobbs Kessler breaking Bekele’s 2000m world best with a 4.48 (a lot of that due to Grant Fisher sitting on the pace and grinding it out)
Josh Hoey breaking Kipketer’s nearly 30 year old world record over the 800 with a 1.42.5
Some good results for British runners too - Jake Wightman taking down the British 2000m record.
Hobbs Kessler breaking Bekele’s 2000m world best with a 4.48 (a lot of that due to Grant Fisher sitting on the pace and grinding it out)
Josh Hoey breaking Kipketer’s nearly 30 year old world record over the 800 with a 1.42.5
Some good results for British runners too - Jake Wightman taking down the British 2000m record.
I enjoy the indoor season, usually action-packed and chaotic. Wonder if more athletes are targeting records this year in the absence of major global championships.
Possibly - certainly Hoey came out to bat. Looking at the long lists for the Boston Meets this weekend though there’s less depth than in previous years. I feel like people not having qualification times to chase may hit the meets
16 year old Sam Ruthe just ran 3.48 for the mile at Boston Indoors Meet. Was watching because a friend was in the same race and knew he was in good form (had run 3.51 for an age WR recently) but that was outstanding
The 1.57 that Isobelle Boffey ran indoors a couple of days back was pretty damn impressive too. Never had her down as that level of talent but only .3 off the record that Hodgkinson ran. Britain has a crazy amount of seriously talented 800m women.
Really came out of nowhere. The same meet as tonight’s 3.48 mile but they run the women’s races on the Friday. The BU track is mega fast and the fields are amazing
World record for Hodgkinson in the 800 indoors. 1.54
Surely having a real tilt at the outdoor WR this year
Surely having a real tilt at the outdoor WR this year
I reckon she could have done it last year if she hadn’t got injured. The sooner she does it the better because that record is a travesty.
She should get it this year. Enough in last night's run to suggest she's in low 1.53 / high 1.52 shape outdoors.
Kiplimo 
WR in Barcelona didn’t get ratified last month because of the race car being too close, just runs another WR in Lisbon today. 57:20 and 10” faster than Kejelcha now.
Can’t wait for Sawe vs Kiplimo in London later on, 7 weeks left.
WR in Barcelona didn’t get ratified last month because of the race car being too close, just runs another WR in Lisbon today. 57:20 and 10” faster than Kejelcha now.Can’t wait for Sawe vs Kiplimo in London later on, 7 weeks left.
Kejelcha will win in London though. I have foreseen itKiplimo
Can’t wait for Sawe vs Kiplimo in London later on, 7 weeks left.
Team GB having a great day in the world indoor championships. Hodgkinson about to run in the 800m final.
And won it with ease. Both Hunter-Bell and Hodgkinson won with ease.
An excellent day. Kerr was brilliant last night too.
We’ve had some unreal performances over half marathons too which suggest some daft marathon times could be happening in the spring
One of the best global championships for GB I can remember. Three golds in 20 minutes brings back memories of London 2012.
And that was ridiculous from Devynne Charlton in the 60m hurdles. Stumbles out of the blocks, almost falls over, but still equals the WR.
And that was ridiculous from Devynne Charlton in the 60m hurdles. Stumbles out of the blocks, almost falls over, but still equals the WR.
She got lucky in the semi after she fumbled the start. Can't imagine the other athletes were happy about restarting the race.
Just seen that Keely ran the fastest leg out of the all the runners (as in every team) in the 4X400m final, just an hour after running a CR in the 800m final, which is crazy. Dina Asher-Smith ran a decent leg too (not sure she's ever done a 4X4 in competition before), just a shame the two actual 400m runners couldn't do the same.
So pleased for Molly after last two major champs
Shots fired by world champion (and United fan) Keely Hodgkinson
Somebody has dropped a bollock if it’s correct that UKA allowed West Ham a refusal clause in the rental agreement
Keely is a beast
RIP Mary Rand, one of the true greats of UK athletics. The original golden girl.
I can remember watching Jonathan Edwards set his world record and it was almost perfection. 3 almost equal jumps and instead of landing heavily like so many triple jumpers do, it was like ballet. He just flowed over the ground.
Triple jump is a bit like the pole vault. So incredibly technical. Everything has to be 100% and the timing has to be spot on.
He was also a very fast sprinter.
Beauty and a beast.
Alex Yee announced as pacer for the London marathon. He'll apparently pace Emile Cairess (who paced Yee in Valencia a few months ago), but he himself commented that he'll be pacing the second group. Given the field in London, I would assume that's a group looking for a 2:03-2:04 finish, would be bonkers if Cairess pulls that off.
Also completely missed that Grant Fisher made his half marathon debut in NYC a few weeks ago. The article mentioned "that he faded away in the last few miles", read the whole thing and he finished in a 60:53 Crazy time for your debut as a track specialist, he might end up close to Clayton Young's US record.
Also completely missed that Grant Fisher made his half marathon debut in NYC a few weeks ago. The article mentioned "that he faded away in the last few miles", read the whole thing and he finished in a 60:53
Crazy time for your debut as a track specialist, he might end up close to Clayton Young's US record.I think they’ll go sub 2.05. I’ve seen Emile training at the track a lot recently and he’s in phenomenal shape.Alex Yee announced as pacer for the London marathon. He'll apparently pace Emile Cairess (who paced Yee in Valencia a few months ago), but he himself commented that he'll be pacing the second group. Given the field in London, I would assume that's a group looking for a 2:03-2:04 finish, would be bonkers if Cairess pulls that off.
Also completely missed that Grant Fisher made his half marathon debut in NYC a few weeks ago. The article mentioned "that he faded away in the last few miles", read the whole thing and he finished in a 60:53
I also think Paddy Dever will be first Brit and would fancy him to run 2.04 low
Damn, that's so nice having world class athletes run on your local track. Isn't Sesemann there as well quite a lot? Although I see him running the same out and back route on Strava literally almost every single day with his dogs
That'd be a crazy time. He recently got upgraded to 3th at the NYC marathon as well after Korir's suspension.
Yeah, Marc Scott has been training with Phil quite a bit this block and last year Alex Yee was about quite a bit. Jake Smith has been too. Phil used to live down the hill in Meanwood but he’s moved a bit further out now - closer to the canal. My coach (27.40/ 13.20 guy) trains with that group too. I’d say there’s a solid group of 20-30 runners all around 14 flat for 5k or quicker and 29-30 mins for 10k or quicker.Damn, that's so nice having world class athletes run on your local track. Isn't Sesemann there as well quite a lot? Although I see him running the same out and back route on Strava literally almost every single day with his dogs
That'd be a crazy time. He recently got upgraded to 3th at the NYC marathon as well after Korir's suspension.
Then you’ve got all the triathletes - Beth Potter, the Brownlees etc
And then we have Max Burgin and Osama Meslek quite a few of the upcoming middle distance- 5kers. Laura Muir is now based here a lot as she’s coached by Laura Weightman.
On Dever, he went second Brit all time over the half at New York and the only one other than Farah to break 60. I think he ran 59.45
Alex Bell too!Damn, that's so nice having world class athletes run on your local track. Isn't Sesemann there as well quite a lot? Although I see him running the same out and back route on Strava literally almost every single day with his dogs
That'd be a crazy time. He recently got upgraded to 3th at the NYC marathon as well after Korir's suspension.
A couple of sessions I know Emile has done recently.
One was 12k tempo alternating one lap at marathon pace with one lap at HM pace. Looked ridiculously smooth
Another was
3k tempo, 5*400, 3k tempo, 5*300, 3k tempo, 5*200, 3k tempo
Tempos were about 2.45km
He’s also training in Nikes now so I’d expect there’ll be a marketing reveal pre London
Both Blummenfelt and Van Riel beat the previous world record in the full Ironman distance in Texas just now. 7:21 for KB, 7:22 for Van Riel. Both <2:32 marathons to close it out in humid circumstances, absolutely crazy athletes.
Sebastian Sawe just run under 2 hours in the London marathon. 
AmazingSebastian Sawe just run under 2 hours in the London marathon.
We are in a new era.
He came, he Sawe, he conqueredSebastian Sawe just run under 2 hours in the London marathon.
Isn't this majorly sus?
He's 31, had a fairly unexceptional career til the last London Marathon and now he's taken a minute off the WR and 3 minutes off his own PB?
Though 3 of them bested Kiptum's record today, so what's changed?
He's 31, had a fairly unexceptional career til the last London Marathon and now he's taken a minute off the WR and 3 minutes off his own PB?
Though 3 of them bested Kiptum's record today, so what's changed?
No, he’s taken part in 4 marathons and won all of them. He had the second fastest debut marathon of all time at Valencia and then won London and Berlin in mad heat last year.
His career was pretty exceptional given he’d already run 58 low for half marathon - top 10 all time and is in the top few all time over 10k on the roads.
Kejelcha and Kiplimo are obviously both absolute legends of the track and roads at shorter distances.
There’ll always be doping and suspicion- I guess the fact Sawe has been so outspoken and has subjected himself to extra AIU testing should be the biggest lessening of suspicion he can have but it’s always a risk and going to be there.
I think the trend/ jarring thing is that these Kenyan runners and to an extent Europeans and Americans are converting to the roads early/ not really having much in the way of a track career. Even greats like Bekele and Kipchoge converted from track very late as 33-35 and by then they have maybe 4-6 top top marathons.
This has completely turned now with marathons and road running being the more lucrative career and people turning to it in their early-mid twenties. It’s no longer tacked on to the end of illustrious track careers.
Sawe is an outlier insofar as he’s 31 and a lot of these lads are starting to seriously marathon at 24/25 and his career starts being recognisable at 26/27 but even now he’s probably 8 years ahead in terms of marathon experience and conversion than former greats like Mo, Haile etc.
It’s translating to the Brits too. look at Phil Sesemann. He’s 32. 20 years ago, he’d have probably just been making his marathon debut now. He’d have likely persevered trying to work down his 3.40 1500 PB, maybe UK 3000, 5000 and a bit of cross. Nowadays, he’s left the track at 26/27, making the use of that speed whilst it’s still at peak and gone 2.12 down to 2.07.
I reckon in 10 years when we get this generation of lads through who’ve been brought up in Europe on double threshold, high carb loading and early conversion, where 3.32 1500m won’t even get you in the conversation for Olympic qualification that we will see 2.03-06 be a very common non-African run time and we’ll see even more low 2/1.59 performances
His career was pretty exceptional given he’d already run 58 low for half marathon - top 10 all time and is in the top few all time over 10k on the roads.
Kejelcha and Kiplimo are obviously both absolute legends of the track and roads at shorter distances.
There’ll always be doping and suspicion- I guess the fact Sawe has been so outspoken and has subjected himself to extra AIU testing should be the biggest lessening of suspicion he can have but it’s always a risk and going to be there.
I think the trend/ jarring thing is that these Kenyan runners and to an extent Europeans and Americans are converting to the roads early/ not really having much in the way of a track career. Even greats like Bekele and Kipchoge converted from track very late as 33-35 and by then they have maybe 4-6 top top marathons.
This has completely turned now with marathons and road running being the more lucrative career and people turning to it in their early-mid twenties. It’s no longer tacked on to the end of illustrious track careers.
Sawe is an outlier insofar as he’s 31 and a lot of these lads are starting to seriously marathon at 24/25 and his career starts being recognisable at 26/27 but even now he’s probably 8 years ahead in terms of marathon experience and conversion than former greats like Mo, Haile etc.
It’s translating to the Brits too. look at Phil Sesemann. He’s 32. 20 years ago, he’d have probably just been making his marathon debut now. He’d have likely persevered trying to work down his 3.40 1500 PB, maybe UK 3000, 5000 and a bit of cross. Nowadays, he’s left the track at 26/27, making the use of that speed whilst it’s still at peak and gone 2.12 down to 2.07.
I reckon in 10 years when we get this generation of lads through who’ve been brought up in Europe on double threshold, high carb loading and early conversion, where 3.32 1500m won’t even get you in the conversation for Olympic qualification that we will see 2.03-06 be a very common non-African run time and we’ll see even more low 2/1.59 performances
How much will those new Adidas shoes have played a part? Kejelcha in 2nd wearing them too. Fantastic advertising them and have been reading a little about them just now.
Not that into running or running tech, but do remember when the Nike Vaporfly ones came out and the subsequent controversey.
Are these shoes some amazing new breakthrough, or do we reckon he'd have done the same in last year's or a pair of Nikes?
Not that into running or running tech, but do remember when the Nike Vaporfly ones came out and the subsequent controversey.
Are these shoes some amazing new breakthrough, or do we reckon he'd have done the same in last year's or a pair of Nikes?
They will have played a part but they’re road legal so are essentially still just a one plated super shoe, with legal stack height with incredible foam and obviously under 100g. This is just an extension of the current super shoe model with a few top end tweaks basically - Adidas released the original Pro Evo and Assefa ran a 2.12 women’s WR in it.
The original Vaporfly was a paradigm shift from racing flats or marathon shoes like the Adizero etc. All the other supershoes that have followed (and are road legal) are just an extension and building on that absolute innovation of putting a stiff plate into absolutely plush super foam