I guess he ran that time early this week in the 1500. That is a good time. I wonder if Sydney Maree still has the American record? Anyway, many people have been criticizing Webb over the last year or two but looks like he may get the last laugh this summer.
To get the last laugh he has to win something against some real competition and not just Americans. He may be a good runner, but he has not done anything in international competition. It is like saying Seth Wealing had the last laugh by winning the American Triathlon Title and he can’t even make the Olympics.
The criticism I always had of Alan Webb was that he had the chance to get a free education at a great University while also training under a running coach that has gotten one runner to the Olympic finals in his event. A college education is worth far more than a shoe deal. Maybe, he’ll get his degree and maybe he won’t, but it very unlikely to be a priority if he’s a professional athlete.
The criticism that I have heard of him as a runner was that he might run a great time trial for his age, but 1500s in serious international races are very tactical, and he has yet to show that he win doing this. I don’t know enough about running or him to know if this is a valid criticism. Even if it is, I think its a little premature since he is still, what 20 years old, which means he has ten years to succeed as a runner. I think he has a much better chance of succeeding because he did go out and run as fast as he could instead of running tactical races in high school.
Also in the American Distance Kids are Doing Allright file, occasional triathlete and current Colorado student Dathan Ritzenhein turned in a 27:38 10,000M a couple weeks back.
Alan Webb is taking classes at George Mason Univ in Fairfax, VA. I saw him on campus all the time during the fall semester (I think he took the spring off to prepare for the Olympic trials). Anyways he is still pursuing a college education albeit at his own pace. Good for him and I wish him all the best.
Dave from VA
To get the last laugh he has to win something against some real competition and not just Americans.
Umm, in that race last weekend (in Hengelo), Webb finished within a half stride of Lagat (second fastest 1500 ever) and Kipchoge, world champ in the 5k. Pretty heady competition, if you ask me. He stayed right with the very best in the world, and got passed only in the final 10 meters.
Webb is the real deal.
Also in the American Distance Kids are Doing Allright file, occasional triathlete and current Colorado student Dathan Ritzenhein turned in a 27:38 10,000M a couple weeks back.
Not to sound overly pessimestic, but that’s still a full minute behind the best time this year, which was run by someone the same age as Dathan(21)!
I guess the question is, when do we get to say “That’s a great time”, instead of "That’s a great time for an American."
Or should we even expect to? As Americans, we tend to feel like we should be at the top of every sport. Are we asking too much? Do we spread ourselves too thin to be good at everything?
I wonder if the Aussies are asking themselves why they can’t compete with our sprinters or if the Japanese are upset that they can’t compete in the steeplechase?
Who cares if he stayed with the the competition for the entire race but got passed by 10 people within the last meter. It is the same as saying I had a good swim and bike, but cramped on the run. The final results are THE ONLY thing that count. Not what he does in training or against an inferior field or what he did until the last 10 meters.
which was run by someone the same age as Dathan(21)!
There’s a not-so-secret thing about Bekele: He’s at least 25. His age was reported in error a while back (when he first travelled internationally), and his handlers and the national association don’t want it corrected.
but got passed by 10 people within the last meter
He got passed by only two people in the last meters. That was his first-ever international race, against seasoned veterans. People on this board might be slagging Webb, but the European papers are all agog over him after that race. He put the scare on Lagat, that’s for sure.
He won an 800 today in 1:46:53 in Spain, but wasn’t pushed hard. Won by half a second in a walk. That is a pretty blistering time for a 1500 guy.
with that time against runners like gebre, tergat, bekele, you are lapped…
I don’t believe any of them have run 3:33.
They do longer events, of course. Webb does 800 and 1500. And, he should get a little respect for running wire to wire with Legat and Kipchoge. If Webb finished a stride behind Kipchoge, why isn’t anyone slagging Kipchoge for running a crappy time? (I know why – because he’s Kenyan, and they are beyond criticism.)
And, lest anyone think Kipchoge went slow, he set a 2004 world-leading time at that race. So, we have Webb, in his first meet abroad, finishing a step behind a world champion running the year’s best time yet, and people want to denigrate Webb? Come on!
the results for the 1500m in Hengelo do not list him 3rd
Yes – my mistake. I was focused on how he did vs. Legat and Kipchoge, and forgot that Songok sneaked by him too.
When you can run a 29:40 come talk to me. Then I will tell you about how you would get lapped three times by these guys if they allowed you in the race, but actually they would just laugh at you and give you a spot to run as a pacesetter for the women.
I once ran a 30:30 on the track and got lapped twice, it does not feel good 
Beyond that, I really look forward to seeing what Webb can come up with this summer. I think he is our strongest medal shot right now from the 1500 on up, men or women.
I do agree with the poster that mentioned the problem that he gave up his education to run (or at least “free” eduction). However, I watched a meet today and that girl that runs the 200 for the US (she broke Marion’s high school record last year) will attend USC and not run and her contract with which ever shoe company has included the cost of her education directly.
What’s up with all the whining and flag waving. Who cares how many Americans are running A times. We are talking about Alan Webb in comparison to others. I do not care if it was his 1st international race or 50th. I only look for the results. He can come from Timbuktu and if he won the race, he would get the respect he deserves. I do not have to run a 29:40 to understand the speed of races. Are you his agent or are you just a flag waver who thinks Americans are the only ones who should win stuff? 4th place is alright but it is not 1st.
which was run by someone the same age as Dathan(21)!
There’s a not-so-secret thing about Bekele: He’s at least 25. His age was reported in error a while back (when he first travelled internationally), and his handlers and the national association don’t want it corrected.
I wasn’t referring to him. I was referring to Sileshi Sihine, from Ethiopia, also 21. 26:39 in March.
Also don’t be so quick to compare these guys to young Africans. We know how old our guys are. Many African runners have no birth certificates and more than a few respected people might tell you they suspect Haile is 2 to 3 years older than his age of record, so these other guys may be as well. This is not some type of cheating to win medals at Junior worlds, it is just that they don’t keep really good records in some less developed countries.
Great. So now Africans aren’t sophisticated enough to know how old they are. Give me a break.
I do agree that Webb’s race was impressive. And yes, 27:40 is a great time for a 21 yr old. Since you are the expert, what Americans do you think have a serious medal shot in Athens in the distance events?
BTW, to what American WR holder are you referring?? Last time I checked, Paul Tergat held the record & I haven’t heard about him changing citizenship, ala Khannouchi.
Webb would make an excellent triathlete, I’ve seen him swim at George Mason’s Pool. I think he swam a bit in high school.
Dave from VA
That said mate, the olympics are about participating as Coubertin said, unfortunately, I do not believe this is the case in reality specially in the US where only winning matters…
that is what it really boils down to. in the u.s., if you don’t win gold, forget about it. you are an also ran. i remember studying abroad in australia during the '96 olympics. they were so stoked when someone won any medal, regardless of the event. there was a guy that won a shooting event and it was a HUGE deal for all the aussies. in the u.s., he probably wouldn’t have gotten mentioned anywhere outside his hometown paper. much different mentality outside the u.s. with respect to participation and medaling…
Interesting comments about Webb.
I do think its unfortunate that he didn’t feel at home with the program at Michigan. However, having run in college, I can guarantee that you are too cooked to even want to compete in the summer. Perhaps Alan and his coach designed a plan where he could take advantage of running in the Olympics and getting the benefit of competing in the European circuit. If he continued running on the collegiate level he would not peak in time for the Olympics, nor would he get competition or tactic lessons as he is currently getting in Europe.
Finally, given that he has about two months to go before the games, he’ll probably be peaking in time to run a bit faster than he is now. Is 3:29 possilbe for him? That’s something only he and his coach will know, but I’ll bet that they are doing everything they can to get there. By then, if he makes the final (3:33 may not do it) I’ll bet he’ll have figured out how to not let three guys get past you in the last 10m, or moreover, develop a strategy so he’s not leading the train coming out of the final turn.
This summer will be fun watching the build-up … too bad we can’t get crowds to Athletics meets in the states as they do in Europe. I’d almost rather go watch a good meet than see the TdF live - almost. I hope all goes well in Athens.
Cheers,
Rocketboy
The Olympics is about competing not just about medals and for once we have a bunch of guys who have a chance to really compete the the best, not just go and run their prelim and then watch the final.
Um just to set the record straight, Jason Pyrah from Willard MO just up the road from here finished 10th in the Sydney 1500 m final. Not a threat to win but far from a laggardly performance. Just saying.