Horses and greyhounds can do it. What was the
purpose in having a separate elite ladies race and
then allow the leading ladies to have male pacemakers?

Television coverage but it actually goes back years.

Bedford petitioned the IAAF for a "womens only" record, subsequently along come PR and Bedford realizes after Chicago that he's screwed. He wanted womens only, was given it but then realized that she only ever be able to pull off a result like todays with male pace makers.

So back to the IAAF for a "mixed" race. The argument here was that the IAAF suggested a joint start for elite male and female but that would not work for TV coverage, so they petitioned for this "mixed" race.

She needs guy's, there are only seven women in the world I think that have ever run a half as fast as she ran the second half, it would be nice to see her run Chicago in the fall but that wont happen I guess.

Anyway if they'd all started together none of this would have been an issue and she'd have had 2 fella's pacing here and no one says anything. So long as they dont run consistently in front of her other than when there is a head wind and they share the work, who cares if she is paced by a bicycle off to the side........4 minutes in front of second place........

Indeed a phenomanal performance. Congratulations to Paula.

Historically across the board, women's world records, in most sports events have been about 10% behind men's. There have been some exceptions and in endurance events, where woman may have some metabolic advantages( possbily more efficiant fat metabolism) the gap does seem to be narrowing.

Ratcliffe's performaces of late are a bit of a throwback to the men's marathon runners of a few years ago - being at there 10K and marathon best at the virtally the same time.

It's a good lesson to study. You are at your best for a marathon when you are in your best 10K form with some slight modifications. How do you get fit for a 10K? - get fit for a 5K. What is the best indicator of 5K performace? Your time from a 800m to 1K race.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Radcliffe would clearly argue that her best performances in all of the other distances came directly as a result of her marathon training. Increased mileage led to improvements at all other distances.

Her marathon of 2.18 and change in London last year was directly responsible for the rest of her outstanding performances over the Summer at the Euro's and Common wealth.

Now, as to your point in the other thread, I mentioned in one of the two threads that Oly marathons are tactical. For the men this is a serious issue becasue if someone is willing to force the pace there are more than 15-20 people capable of going sub 2.07 so they are all watching each other and it dissolves in to a cat and mouse game where no one wants to push as the someone will sit in until the end and then the people pushing get shafted.

Radcliffe is minutes ahead of her competition. Her biggest worries in Athens will be the heat and the pollution, she can simply TT it on her own.

Paula can clearly stay ahead on her own of a pack so even working together they simply could not keep pace and you have to assume that even if the heat does not affect everyone equally in Athens the pollution almost certainly will.

Agree on all points.

PR has a certain fearlessness that has not been seen in distance running for some time - prepare extraordinarily well then just put the headdown and go. If she does take on the marathon in Athlens, I suspect that this will be her chosen tactic. I am optimistic that she will persevere should she take on the challenge.

However, as we all know the marathon is a long race and a race were anything can happen. Witness the great Paul Tergat's marathon performances: On paper - the man most likley to succeed at the marathon distance. He's had some great marathons, but has yet to cross the finishline first in any of them.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

2 huge differences between PR and PT.

PT like Radcliffe always finished second but did not make the transition although granted he went up against KK in the fastest marathon ever and then in Chicago got stuck with the Pacemakers and turning it tactical.

PT got stuck with HGS on the track and KK in the marathon.

PR up until last year got stuck on the track behind the Africans but made the transition successfully to the marathon.

Now the track has turned around and she is performing well.

I hope she prepares superbly, wins gold in Paris and then just TT's the marathon in Athens and nothing goes wrong

She's a lot like LA in terms of preperation so hopefully when the big occasions now come she'll be right there.

that's a good point re. strategy in the men's field.
a good example is London 2002 where to my opinion, Gebre was the fastest. However KK has way more experience and let Gebre do all the pacing (as the pacers blew up very early in the race).
Then Gebre was running on the cobbles whereas KK and PT were running on smooth road (I think andrew pointed that out)...then when KK attacked, HG was done.
Paula does not have this problem. as there is simply noone even remotely close to her. she is definitely in a class of her own.

The next time the Olympics are held in Chicago :) and KK, PT, HS and the rest of the guys that can go under 2.07 comfortably get together they would run 2.08-2.09 because they are looking for a gold and there is no one that can put 2 minutes in to the field so you're trying to split the pack but at the same time stay together so you dont get run down in the final miles. KK was brilliant in London, he sat in for 20+ miles at WR pace and then dropped them like a bad habit at the end.

Radcliffe made clear what her deal was in London, 2.16, half way in 1.08 and you either go or you dont but everyone knew that if she held it together no one woud be able to stay with her.

If HGS or KK were able to run 2.01 going in to Athens then you'd have to think that like Radcliffe it would make sense to run off the front and take your chances because if you are in a pack, it comes down to foot speed at the end and certainly Tergat does not want to be put in that position.