This is a really good time to be a fan of athletics, or more specifically the marathon. We are living in a golden era for male marathon running. Allow me to explain.
Over the weekend, there were some absolutely staggering performances in big city marathons. It started on Sunday morning in London with one of the greatest fields ever assembled for a marathon. Behind the start line (and just in front of me – very exciting!) at 9:45 in Blackheath were Martin Lel, Tsegay Kebede, James Kwambai, Emmanuel Mutai, Jaouad Gharib, Abel Kirui, Marilson Gomes Dos Santos and Patrick Makau, amongst others. The start list for the 2011 London Marathon read like a who’s who of world marathon running: the fastest man in the world last year (Makau), two former winners (Kebede and Lel), the world champion (Kirui) and a man who is consistently near the sharp end of any marathon he enters (Mutai).
And it was Mutai who proved to be the story of the day. Sitting back in the lead pack of 9 through half way, there was still no sign of what was yet to come from him. The pacemakers took them through 13.1 miles in 62:45 and hung on for a few more miles. The pack stayed together, hanging in behind last year’s winner and pre-race favourite Kebede, who at first seemed reluctant to make a move. Kebede pushed the pace and dropped a couple off the back before Mutai really got the race started. At 20 miles he put the hammer down and ran back to back miles of 4:30 and 4:31. He followed this up with another 2 miles inside 4:45 and the race was won. The only questions that remained as he charged down the Embankment were about whether the course record of 2:05:10 would be broken, and about who would come second. The first of these was answered emphatically. Slowing down only slightly going past Big Ben and into Birdcage Walk, he powered down the Mall to finish in 2:04:40, making him the 4th fastest man of all time. Behind him, an intriguing battle for second place developed between Martin Lel, winner of this event three times previously, and Patrick Makau, a man who has more sub-60 clockings for the half marathon than any other man in the world. Looking beaten as Makau passed him in the 26th mile, Lel surged again and it came down to a sprint finish down the Mall. he tucked in behind his compatriot and launched a brutal kick with 50 metres to go. He beat Makau by less than a second.
What was remarkable about this race was not just the stunning performance of Emmanuel Mutai, but the way in which the Kenyans dominated the race. The top 3 positions were filled by men from Kenya, as were the first and third positions in the women’s race. Though the distance records belong to Ethiopia, the depth lies in Kenya. The world all time list for the marathon is filled with the names of Kenyan men. The Kenyan dominance now means that the World Marathon Majors and the Diamond League are now far more competitive than the World Championships and the Olympic Games. The reason? These events are only allowed 3 Kenyans in. It is often said that the most competitive race on earth is the Kenyan Cross Country Championships. Without any of the other nations’ athletes diluting the quality of the field, this is the real race that sorts the men from the boys.
So by Sunday afternoon, Emmanuel Mutai was the quickest marathoner in the world for 2011. By Monday afternoon, he wasn’t even the fastest Mutai in the world. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage Geoffrey Mutai.
Monday’s Boston Marathon, whilst not boasting as high quality a field as London, still had Gebre Gebremariam, Ryan Hall, debutant Moses Mosop and Geoffrey Mutai. Now this Mutai also has some pedigree. He came second in the Berlin and Rotterdam Marathons last year with 2:05 and 2:04 clockings to his name, and won the Kenyan Cross Country Championships this year by a huge margin. With the American Ryan Hall setting the early pace, the lead group went through half way under 62 minutes. The athletes benefited from a tail wind and ideal temperatures to make this one of the fastest marathons ever. Mosop recorded the fastest time ever by a debutant with 2:03:06, nearly a minute faster than Haile Gebrselassie’s world record. Despite this, he was still outkicked by the phenomenal Geoffrey Mutai, who broke the tape at 2:03:02. Ryan Hall ran the fastest marathon ever by an American in 2:04:57, meaning he now has a better PB than the likes of Wanjiru and Kebede.
Eight years ago Hall’s time would have been a world record. On Monday it was only good enough for 4th. This shows how much men’s marathon running has come on in the last few years. Taking another look at the all time list, there are barely any times in the top 100 where the year doesn’t begin with the digit 2. A golden era indeed.
As an aside, the women’s race at Boston was won by someone from an East African country. Bet you can’t guess which one.
The aim was to have a go at 2:30, or at least try and get as close as possible. I felt I had earned the right to at least try after all the training I’ve been doing. This meant averaging 5:40 per mile so that was the pace I set off at. I was clicking off the miles nicely for 17 miles, only straying from my target pace by a few seconds at every mile marker. I ran about 14 miles with a guy from Coventry Godiva, another Midlands club, whom I recognised and realised was trying to hit the same splits as me.
At every drink station I sipped water or lucozade depending on what was being offered. Usually I cope just fine with this but today all the fluid just sat in my stomach and from about 8 miles I had a pretty uncomfortable stitch. This also meant that breathing became quite difficult, and that I didn’t take on any more as I knew this would make me feel sick. I kept the pace going but after about 17 miles the effect of not absorbing any liquids really caught up with me. I slowed down dramatically and started getting passed by some other runners. It wasn’t a huge number, but that is mainly due to the fact that the field is so thin around the 2:30 mark. The people who passed me were moving a lot quicker than I was. Just after 19 miles, I put in a surge to try and stick with a group who were coming past, but it felt as though I was sprinting just to stay with what was quite a modest pace. Shortly after passing the 20 mile marker in around 1:55 or 1:56 (it’s hard to recall this part of the race) I started wobbling and collapsed. Race over. I briefly considered getting up again and carrying on but I could barely speak, let alone run. It took the best part of a minute just to give the police officer my wife’s phone number. The St John’s Ambulance team took me to their tent and lay me down. After some time there, my stomach settled and the fluids started to get absorbed. I started feeling much better and headed to the finish to meet my family.
Some lessons learned:
1. Practise with drinks.
Sometimes I do drink on the run, but never at the same kind of pace I try to run a marathon at. Part of the problem may have been that my body is not used to taking on liquids whilst running at that intensity. Practising drinking on the run should help me work out exactly how much my stomach can handle at once and I won’t take on too much liquid.
2. Train harder and smarter.
I know I’ve increased both the volume and intensity of my training in the last 6 months, but there are definite areas I need to work on. For a start, I haven’t been running my long runs hard enough. In order to run a good marathon, you need to run a significant chunk of your long runs at target pace. The cost of this may be my long rep session on a Tuesday, but with the other speedwork I do, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Long rep/short recovery sessions will remain a fixture of my training schedule, as it is crucial to practise running when tired and with lactic accumulation in the legs. Mixing up the distances is also beneficial. I’ve found that alternating fast short efforts with long sustained efforts can really help train the body for the fatigue that comes from running 42k. Running doubles has also helped with my strength, as has the increase in the number of miles I’ve been running. This will continue.
3. Don’t trash talk
…about running times you’re not sure you’re capable of. When someone asks what time you’re going to run, be conservative in your claims.
I put a lot of pressure on myself, and perhaps I don’t need to put any more on my telling people I’m going to run a certain time.
4. Sometimes you just have a bad race
I’ve had some good races recently as a result of all the training I’ve been putting in. I’ve recorded PBs for 5k, half marathon and 20 miles, and even beat my 10k time in a solo effort on the track. Maybe I was just due a bad race. Sometimes you prepare well and just have a bad day.
Regular followers of this blog will know that I am running the London Marathon on Sunday. Doing what I do best on my days off work (browsing the internet for running related stories) I found this article about the celebrities who are taking part in this year’s race and which charities they are raising money for.
Here’s my analysis of the competition I’m up against:
Will Young
Though I doubt I will ever forgive Mr Young for his cover of Light My Fire by the Doors, I have quite some admiration for the man. He clearly has an exceptional pair on lungs on him, but will they be good enough to get him round the course in his predicted 3 hours and 30 minutes?
Dwight Yorke
The Trinidadian made his name scoring countless goals for Aston Villa and Manchester United amongst other clubs. He was the classic poacher with a great eye for goal, and is using his celebrity to raise funds for Vision. He famously did a runner from his relationship with Jordan, another person who has participated in this event. Can he do the same thing at London?
Ricky Wilson
I predict a right sore pair of calves in the morning. The Kaiser Chiefs’ singer is competing this year in order to raise money for the Alzheimers Society.
Gary Speed
Another footballer competing in this year’s event, the Welshman had a hugely successful career, scoring in every Premier League season before his retirement. Known for his ability to tuck away a penalty under pressure, the marathon should pose a different challenge. He is now the national team coach. He can manage Craig Bellamy, but can he manage 26.2 miles?
James Cracknell and Matthew Pinsent
These men are machines. Rowers are just about the fittest breed of athlete on the planet, and their lung capacity is matched only by their mental toughness. With numerous World Championship and Olympic golds between them, the marathon should pose little challenge. Who will be first down the Mall?
Jamie Baulch and Iwan Thomas
Another pair who competed together, but in an event slightly more similar to the one taking place on Sunday. In Baulch and Thomas you have two of the finest 400m runners this country has ever produced. Baulch holds the British indoor record, whilst Thomas holds the outdoor equivalent. There is no doubt that these man can run fast, but how do they feel about running 100 times their usual distance?
This links to the IAAF preview of the Rotterdam Marathon, taking place this weekend.Rotterdam is fast, and is surely putting forward a strong claim for inclusion in the World Marathon Majors series. In 2009, James Kwambai and Duncan Kibet broke the Kenyan record on this course. Last year Patrick Makau and Geoffrey Mutai ran super-fast times here as did Vincent Kipruto, who returns this year.World record? I wouldn’t rule it out.
5 reasons why Tsegay Kebede will win the London Marathon on April 17th…
1. He won last year
Kebede produced an excellent performance to win the race last year, improving on his second placing in 2009. He knows the course well and is a popular athlete who will have a lot of support on the streets of London. He isn’t afraid to push the pace and will take on anyone who fancies a race.
2. Kenyans
Prize money, pride and international acclaim aside, there is nothing that motivates an Ethiopian athlete quite like the idea of sticking it to the Kenyans. Gebrselassie loved beating Tergat. Defar and Dibaba love beating Masai and Cheruiyot. Imane Merga took great pleasure in brushing aside the whole Kenyan team at the recent world cross country, and as recently as last weekend, Dejen Gebremeskel couldn’t help but remind Eliud Kipchoge exactly who had crossed the finish line first at the Carlsbad 5k.
Kebede still holds the memory of some big defeats at the hands of Sammy Wanjiru, absent this year due to injury. This year the challenge from the southern neighbours comes courtesy of last year’s runner up Emmanuel Mutai, 3 time winner Martin Lel, world champion Abel Kirui and sub 2:05 man James Kwambai.
3. Consistency
Tsegay Kebede has run 9 major marathons in his career. The slowest of these was run in 2:10:00 and this was in the Olympic Games in Beijing. He has only finished outside the top 3 once and this was on his debut. He has a personal best of 2:05:18 and has finished within seconds of this time on other occasions. Throw in a few 2:06s and World and Olympic medals and you have the most consistent marathon racer around. The phrase ‘bad race’ is not in this man’s vocabulary.
4. The Course
Kebede runs his best races on flat courses. London fits that bill well. Although London is regarded by the elites as a twisty course, it generally produces quick times. Dave Bedford will have assembled a high quality team of pacemakers to make sure the pace stays high and that wheat and chaff are well and truly sorted. Not that our man will need them though. He is more than happy to take up the running and push the pace out of reach of weaker athletes.
5. World Championships
Assuming this summer’s world championships in South Korea are part of Kebede’s race plans, he will want to put down a marker to show the world he is the man to beat, as well as making sure he is the first name on the Ethiopian squad list. The marathon here will form part of the World Marathon Majors for 2010/2011, a title the Kebede is known to covet, particularly having lost so narrowly to Wanjiru at Chicago in October.
