No WR this year in Berlin

And that's the BIG news in this brief post!
The "World Record Factory", aka the Berlin Marathon, failed to give up yet another WR
Blame it on the Nike Shoes winner Eliud Kipchoge wore!

You already know the story.
Sometime early on, Kipchoge's insoles came loose, tried to leave their shoes, but failed, thus causing him to run the last 30+K or so with flapping insoles!!

No, that's NOT a joke!
In fact, he blamed that on his not being on pace at the half (1:01:30), and not being able to close the gap.
However, it didn't prevent him from throwing in a 14:23 split that "split" him apart from his nearest rivals.

Kipchoge's 2:04:00 improves his PR (by 5 seconds), but doesn't change his 8th A-T World status!

The Women's race came down to a runaway over the final 7000+ meters for Gladys Cherono, who improved her PR by 25 seconds, to 2:19:25.

She negative split, doing her halves in 1:10:15 and 1:09:10
She gets the Age 32 record.
And improves her standing on the World list from 19th all the way to 8th A-T!!

In a Rock and Roll Half, Meb Keflezighi got the USA "Masters" record with his 1:03:02.
(I'll call it the "40 and over" record!  LOL)
He had run 1:02:26 earlier this year, but that was reportedly on a "downhill" course!

Also breaking--actually tying!--a Road Record was Deena Kastor, who tied Colleen De Reuck's 2004 5000 standard of 15:48.
This is also an Age 40 & over record!

Some interesting XC results, especially from the Women.

The best was probably at the Roy Griak race.
Berkeley Soph Bethan Knights defeated Boise State Frosh Allie Ostrander by about 16 seconds, timed in 20:53 to Ostrander's 21:09.
But Ostrander might have had a decent excuse for taking "only" 2nd!
She'd just returned from Wales, where she'd WON a World Mountain Running race!!

Rachel Schulist finished 5th in the Griak race with her 21:31.

Jefferson Abbey took Griak's Men's race, doing the 8K course in 24:51.
There were no recognizable "big names" on the Men's side!

Michigan State took the Men's team title, while Boise State won the Women's.

At Stanford---where Stanford ran without their stars, Elise Cranny and Aisling Cuffe--Canadian Steeplechaser Erin Teschuk won, running 20:06.
However, Stanford still won the team battle, scoring just 44 points!
Teschuk's margin of victory was about 6 seconds.
(BTW, does Cuffe still have eligibility at Stanford, if only for XC?  Or did she graduate already?)

The Men's race was VERY interesting, as an unattached (redshirting?) Grant Fisher--he of 3:59.38 HS Mile fame!--finished 2nd to Cardinal Sean McGorty!
He was far back (23:07 for McGorty to 23:33 for Fisher), but a GREAT race for the Stanford recruit!

And yes, Stanford also took the Men's team title--with 63 points.

Finally, in the Griak HS Girls race, there was a teensy-weensy upset!
You see, a High School girl did NOT win the race!

No, the winner--Grace Ping--is a SEVENTH GRADER!!!
And in 2nd?
A SENIOR in HIGH SCHOOL!!!
(And one whom Mile Split says was ranked fairly high nationally this year!!)

The time was just 18:12 for the 5K course, but as I've often stated, times are really irrelevant for XC, as the courses are so different!
Not only different when compared to each other, but especially different from racing a 5000 on a flat 400 meter track (or even on a banked 200 meter INdoor track!).

Whatever her time, Ping only reminded me---yet again!!---of that 7th Grader Brianna Jackuzewitz, who STILL has the fastest time by a "HS Frosh" for the INdoor 5000 from her 16:43.02 in 2004!

Will Ping become the "next Jackucewitz"??
Let's see if she races INdoors in 2016!
(BTW, she has a reported 5:07 Mile best (or was it 1600 meters??) from 2014!)

Speaking of the 2016 INdoor season, if the 2015 season is any barometer of what to expect, then we MIGHT be just 54 days away from our first "reportable" result!

Remember last year, when the 2015 season actually began on November 22nd, 2014, when Ryen Frazier, then a HS Senior, ran the Mile in 4:44.20 in a JDL All-Comers meet!!

Can we expect the same VERY early result this year?
(Well, maybe not from Frazier, who is now a STAR Frosh at North Carolina State!!)

And what WILL the 2016 INdoor season bring??

In a FUTURE post---but surely BEFORE November 22nd!!--I'll look into what we can expect.
WHO is competing?
WHERE?
Will any WR attempts be announced early?
In an Olympic year, will the INdoor World Championships be affected---negatively?
On the same point, will the fact it's being held in the United States bring out MORE US stars--even though it's an Olympics year?
And there's so MANY questions to be answered on the individual front!
Who will make HUGE comebacks?
(I'm thinking Yelena Isinbayeva, Brigetta Barrett, even Mary Cain!)

Then there's the Olympic Trials Marathon, being held DURING the INdoor season!

Lots to look into--and I WILL---soon!
(Well, sometime in November, most likely!)

The Chicago Marathon is next!
See you then!