Fast Running Blog

(http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200709/r187907_702241.jpg)

http://www.wcsn.com/article/news.jsp?ymd=20070930&content_id=44508&vkey=athletics_news&id=34003&dpre= (http://www.wcsn.com/article/news.jsp?ymd=20070930&content_id=44508&vkey=athletics_news&id=34003&dpre=)

A very humble man it seems as well who apoligizes to his friend Tergat for beating his record.

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-6959941,00.html (http://sport.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-6959941,00.html)

I guess he has silenced any possible critics to the claim that he is truly the greatest distance runner ever setting world records now from the 3000 to the Marathon!


Ok, some more prospective on how fast that really is: It is a 5K in 14:45 but 8.5 times in a row! Or 4 10Ks in a row in 29:30!

It sure makes it seem like running one sub 15:00 5K should not be that difficult when someone can go out and run that fast 8.5 times in a row.

Here are his 5K splits: Finishing with his last 5K as his fastest of the day in 14:30 at the end of a marathon!!! Amazing to think about!
5 km: 00:14:44
10 km: 00:29:27 / 00:14:43
15 km: 00:44:16 / 00:14:50
20 km: 00:59:10 / 00:14:54
25 km: 01:14:05 / 00:14:55
30 km: 01:28:56 / 00:14:51
35 km: 01:43:38 / 00:14:43
40 km: 01:58:08 / 00:14:30

That is amazing.  I read the article a few days ago where he all but promised a world record, and indicated he was prepared this year to do it.  Now the question is whether the record will be broken again, and how long it will take . . .

Glad to see that everything came together for him.  It was just a matter of time.  I know that running isn't very appealing to the general sport's viewing public but I find it a little odd that there is no mention of this on cnnsi.com but one of their top stories is about a man who ate 21 pounds of grits in 10 minutes.

Does anyone know where to find his mile splits? I'm just curious. I can only find the 5K splits above...

Another great article and interview with Geb below. He believes a 2:00 marathon is possible in the next 20-40 years. He also believes he can run 2:03. He talks about how Berlin had perfect conditions and that it is an ideal course to run a marathon world record and that if the record is broken in the future it will be on the Berlin course not London or Chicago or elsewhere, interesting read.

http://www.wcsn.com/article/news.jsp?ymd=20071001&content_id=44635&vkey=athletics_news&id=34003&dpre= (http://www.wcsn.com/article/news.jsp?ymd=20071001&content_id=44635&vkey=athletics_news&id=34003&dpre=)

Another good article: Now I need to get back to work!

http://www.marathonguide.com/pressreleases/index.cfm?file=BerlinMarathon_070930b (http://www.marathonguide.com/pressreleases/index.cfm?file=BerlinMarathon_070930b)

Did Geb say how fast he could run St. George? :-)

Sasha Science says a very low 2:02. How much money does it take to get all of this set up? Would it be reasonable to say, under 10 million? If I were managing this, I would actually just recruit Geb's pacers instead of Geb himself to cut the cost down, and pay them progressively for hitting each mile on target, plus a bonus for finishing the race. I think his pacers were just as good as him, the race for odd (to a runner) publicity reasons did not pay them to go all the way. They learned from Tergat's experience, I guess. I think we can get a 2:02 in St. George with a budget under 2 million. Is there a corporation in Utah that would find it worthwhile to have "2:02 marathon sponsored by ..." in the news?

Based on the CNN coverage, which unfortunately does represent public interest, I suppose we could  find a sponsor for eating 21 lb of grits in 10 minutes a lot easier. And we wonder why so many Americans are overweight!  ;D

My guess would be a 2:21. He runs two brisk 1:03 halves, with a 15 minute nap/intra-race press conference in the middle. Not sure how he would do a stick figure drawing of that though.

One thing to consider is I'm sure Geb did a lot of his training on flat routes, so to adjust to STG might be a little more difficult, unless he did train properly for STG than he could probably get a 2:01.

So is that a no go on the mile splits?

No luck finding mile splits yet but I will keep looking.