The 2017 OUTdoor T&F season was driving forward at breakneck speed!
Until this weekend, when it settled into cruise mode, slowing the momentum a bit.
Unless you were in London!
(Things were way hotter in cool London-town than they were in the hot & rainy Bahamas!)
And it was all (or mostly) Mary Keitany's show!
This 35 year old Kenyan had been telling folks she intended to run fast--maybe at World Record pace!
Of course, for some record-keepers (NOT me!!!), there are TWO World Records for the Women's Marathon---the overall WR of Paula Radcliffe (2:15:25), and the Women Only WR---also held by Radcliffe--of 2:17:42!
When her 1st Mile was just 5:17, it didn't seem she was keeping her promise!
Then she picked it up to a 5:07.
But when she sped the downhill 3rd mile in 4:37, eyes popped open!
Two more sub-5's brought her to 5 miles in 24:56!!
At 10000, it was 31:16.
She was now running at just over 2:12 pace!
Tweeters were going crazy, most predicting a massive drop-off, maybe even a DNF!!
Radcliffe's WR (the faster one!) was an average of 5:09 per mile!
Keitany ran 2 of her next 3 miles in 5:09, with the middle one in 5:06!
It was 47:15 at 15K!
But her 5K's were getting progressively slower---from 15:35 to 15:41 to 15:59!
At this point, Vivian Cheruiyot (in her "Virgin" marathon--so to speak! LOL) was at 47:43, also well under Paula's pace!
As were a few others, including Turunesh Dibaba!
Her next 5K slowed even more--to 16:10, as she passed 20K in 63:25.
But when she came to the Half in 66:54, it took simple arithmetic to realize she was still at sub-2:14 pace!!
A 5:05 kept things going, but then she cruised a 5:16, bringing her to 25K in a World Record 1:19:43!!
Another World Record was broken at 30K--1:36:05!!
Yes, that's THREE 32:01 10K's in a row--non-stop!
But she WAS slowing--to 5:18's--thus losing about 9 seconds per mile to Paula's pounding rhythmic pace!
In fact, she was then projected to finish slower than the WR!
The talk changed--from one WR--to the "other" WR!
Tirunesh was then over a minute behind!
And she was having continual stomach problems!
Some said she threw up a few times--even stopped at one point with cramps!
Would the great Tiru DNF?
The question was answered when her next mile or two GAINED on Keitany!
Yes, Keitany was now grinding, her 7th 5K her slowest--16:34!
Her next two miles were in 5:31 & 5:25!
But while the numbers don't really show it, it was being reported that she pushed through a mile in 4:53 close to the finish!!
Her 40K time was 2:09:38.
Paula's "Women Only" WR was under attack---by an Army of One!!
Mary Keitany was now revived--and sprinted down London's final straight to resounding cheers from an SRO crowd--time of 2:17:01.
She remains 2nd A-T World!
She gets the National Record of Kenya.
She breaks the Age 35 record!
Her splits were 66:54 and 70:07!
Tirunesh Dibaba's 2:17:56 is the National Record of Ethiopia.
She is 3rd A-T World!
But she did NOT get the Age 31 record---that belongs to Paula Radcliffe & her 2:17:42!!
Laura Thweatt wanted a PR!.
When she hit halfway in 1:12:56---along with Kellyn Taylor--she was surprised--and a bit worried!
But her steady pacing ruled the day!
She came home in a PR of 2:45--her 2:25:38 taking 6th place---after being in 9th earlier on!!
She moves from 21st A-T US to 7th!!
(I include Boston times on my lists!)
Taylor slowed, but still ran 2:28:51--just 11 seconds off her PR---and in 13th place!!
BTW, Aselefech Mergia ran 2:23:08 for 3rd, with Cheruiyot taking 4th in 2:23:50!
The Men also wanted WR pacing---and got it!
But for them, the same kind of excitement never materialized, as they fell off the pace, and when Ken Bekele was falling back!
Daniel Wanjiri survived the best, winning in 2:05:48, with Bekele reviving for 2nd in 2:05:57!!
The 3rd edition of the World Relays---all held in Nassau, The Bahamas--was by far the WORST!
And worse than "worst"--they were BORING!!
Just one Meet Record was erased, the Women's 4X200--the Jamaican Women running 1:29.04.
For an example of the pathetic nature of this--and other times--remember that UO's 4 student-athletes had run 1:28.78!!
In fact, the most "exciting" moments came in the various DNF's & DQ's that abounded throughout!!
Jamaica's Men--sans Usain Bolt--DNF'ed in their 4X100 heats!
Canada's & Great Britain's Men DNF'ed in the final!
Tianna Bartoletta slipped and fell on the slippery track (It had been raining!), failing to make the 1st pass of the 4X100 final!!
The 4X800's had teams that--on paper--looked good for American Record times!
But after a 2:01.4 opening leg by Chanelle Price, each ensuing leg got slower and slower, with 1:58 INdoor gal Charlene Lipsey's 2:07 anchor being snail's pace!!
The Men had a super Kenyan team to contend with, so chose to "win", rather to gun it!
They won in 7:13 and change!
Trinidad & Tobago's NR was broken with their 4X200 time of 1:22. 79 in the heats, then again in the final with their 1:21.39!
The US took home the "Golden Baton" for their count of medals!
But Canada---with anchor Andre De Grasse doing a Usain Bolt, staring over at Justin Gatlin as he edged him at the tape in the heats--beat the US in the final--1:19:42 to 1:19.88.
After the DNF of the US team, Germany won the 4X100 in 42.84!
(UO's Women had run 42.12 a week or 2 ago!!)
The Mixed 4X400 Relay saw USA's Woman being overtaken on the anchor by the Bahamas;s anchorMAN, winning it in 3:14.42, with the US back in 3:17.29!
Want a more exciting--and Record-breaking--World Relays?
Bring back the DMR, and a 4XMile--and keep the 4X800's!
Or just have UO's Women run as the American team!!
Yes, the weekend was relatively quiet---but not entirely so!
Following--in condensed form--are the best marks---
Anthony Schwartz sped a 200 in 20.66, missing the HS list by 0.08 seconds!
Wayde Van Niekerk ran 200 in 19.90, a PR!
He actually slammed on the brakes with 10+ meters left to run!!
His Combined Events time for the 100-200-400 is now 1:12.91 (9.98, 19.90, and 43.03).
Sydney McLaughlin ran her 1st 400H of the year--a 56.15.
Jasmin Stowers ran 100H in 12.90 (1.9).
Chrisanne Gordon's 50.64 is the Collegiate leader!
She's 16th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other!
Jessica Beard ran 51.82 in 2nd.
Michael Cherry's 44.77 beat Vernon Norwood's 44.82.
Nathaneel Mitchell-Blake sped a non-PR 200 in 20.15!
Odean Skean ran the 100 in 9.98, using the max wind of 2.0.
He's 16th A-T Collegiate, tied with 2 others!
But knocked FROM my Collegiate DDD was one Leroy Burrell, his 10.01 dating from 1990!!
Aleia Hobbs had a windy (2.3) 100 of 11.06.
Fred Kerley and Emmanuel Korir had fast 400's!
Korir's 44.67 ties the Frosh Class record!!
And Kerley's 44.60 makes him 21st A-T Collegiate!!
The distances had several good 800's among them!
Hanna Green beat Danae Rivers, 2:02.17 to 2:02.53.
Isaiah Harris became 19th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other, with his 1:45.12 in Virginia!
Andres Arroyo was 2nd in 1:45.74, with Drew Piazza 3rd in 1:46.02.
Cecilia Barowski ran 2:01.96, and added a 400 in 53.46!
Edose Ibodin beat Jesse Karn, 1:45.91 to 1:45.96.
Drew Hunter took 2nd in a good 3:42.89 in the 1500!
Elise Cranny won the Stanford meet in 4:11.46.
Grant Fisher took the 5K in 13:37.77.
Dominique Scott returned to Arkansas to win the 1500 in 4:14.26.
The Kansas Relays saw a good 3200 battle, Callie Logue's 10:09.97 beating Molly Born's 10:10.64.
Field Events were rife with good marks---and several list placings!!
Mason Finley's DT of 212-2 took down the Kansas Relays Meet Record, dating from--1976!!
Gwen Berry remained hot, hitting a HT of 244-7 at Auburn!
Whitney Ashley's 209-6 DT isn't a PR!
Nor was Kelsey Card's 200-8.
Jill Shippee's HT of 196-2 makes her 6th A-T HS!!
Ryan Crouser took the Downtown SP at the Kansas Relays with his 72-6.50!!
Sweden's Daniel Stahl had a DT of 224-4!
At Stanford, redshirting Senior Valerie Allman got another HUGE PR--her DT reaching 212-3.
She moves from 20th A-T US to 12th!
But her redshirt denies her a Collegiate listing!!
Kellion Knibb's 202-1 in 2nd is a 6 inch PR!
She remains 13th A-T Collegiate!
Erin Famer's 59-5 SP makes her 20th A-T Collegiate!
Maggie Ewen's 197-5 DT misses the Collegiate DDD by just 3 inches!
Dani Bunch improved her SP to 62-8.75, moving her from 20th A-T US to 10th!!
Chris Nilsen is now 12th A-T Collegiate, after his PV of 18-9.50!
Emily Grove is now a 15 footer!
Her 15-1 moves her from 11th A-T Collegiate, tied with 5 others, to 6th, tied with 2 others!
She is the 9th Collegiate over 15 feet OUTdoors!!
She's also 18th A-T US, but tied with 7 others!!
Annie Rhodes topped out at 14-5.50.
Emily Presley, a Soph at Missouri Southern, PV'ed 14-5.25!
Quanesha Burks LJ'ed a solid 22-0.75, not a PR.
And Luvo Monyonga continues his Record-breaking ways in South Africa!!
He's now LJ'ed 28-4.50, which breaks his own National Record!!
He moves up one place on the A-T World list--from 12th to 11th!
In "off-track" news---
Brianna Rollins has been BUSTED---but NOT for drug USE!!
For missing 3 random tests--and not reporting accurately where she'd be!!
(One time, she was on her way to the White House to meet with President Obama!! The USADA testers never caught up with her at Atlanta's airport!!)
Her ban is for 1 year, and will end in mid-December of this year!
She misses the World Championships in London!!
In happier news, Sally Kipyego became an American Citizen--AND announced she's pregnant--so also will miss the 2017 season!
Lauren Fleshman--former elite runner and now spokesperson extraordinaire against the "problems" in our sport--is also pregnant, with her child due in October!!
And Mary Cain is still MIA!
And English Gardner and Alysia Montano both celebrated birthdays--English her 26th, Montano her 31st!
Later this week are the Penn and Drake Relays!!
(Certainly should be better than the World Relays!!)
See you soon!
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