I’m not taking anything away from the performances but it’s the shoes. I don’t know why ppl are so offended by that. It’s not drugs. It’s the benefits of training and being able to train more and more because of the carbon plate shoes. It’s different technology and expect WR’s to fall but most importantly more and more runners breaking certain times we hadn’t seen before. For example MORE college kids are going to break 15 in the 5k now simply due to the shoes. They are here to stay so just enjoy the performances.
Yes, it's the shoes, and the tracks, and wavelight, and the Internet sharing of knowledge, GPS watches, Instagram and social media giving a bit of glamor to teenage runners, YouTube enabling kids to be inspired by past greats etc etc
There have probably been more changes in the last 20 years than the previous 100 years. Then look at how times improved over the 20th century, and people here are screaming doping because a rarely run 30 year old record has been broken by arguably the most prodigious talent of the last 100 years.
The crazy thing is how it's taken all these changes and yet the men's 1500 and mile record still look secure for the time being. Surprised El G is still alive with everything that must have been put in his body to run 3:26.00 30 years ago.
I’m not taking anything away from the performances but it’s the shoes. I don’t know why ppl are so offended by that. It’s not drugs. It’s the benefits of training and being able to train more and more because of the carbon plate shoes. It’s different technology and expect WR’s to fall but most importantly more and more runners breaking certain times we hadn’t seen before. For example MORE college kids are going to break 15 in the 5k now simply due to the shoes. They are here to stay so just enjoy the performances.
Yes, it's the shoes, and the tracks, and wavelight, and the Internet sharing of knowledge, GPS watches, Instagram and social media giving a bit of glamor to teenage runners, YouTube enabling kids to be inspired by past greats etc etc
There have probably been more changes in the last 20 years than the previous 100 years. Then look at how times improved over the 20th century, and people here are screaming doping because a rarely run 30 year old record has been broken by arguably the most prodigious talent of the last 100 years.
The crazy thing is how it's taken all these changes and yet the men's 1500 and mile record still look secure for the time being. Surprised El G is still alive with everything that must have been put in his body to run 3:26.00 30 years ago.
I, so often, wish that all of this was available in the early 70's when I started running.
I remember shoo gooing the soles of you shoes as they wore down and taping around the shoe when the upper came unglued from the sole.
There was no cushioning or support, there were just running shoes that weren't your wear around shoes.
It's so much better now. I just tried on a pair of super shoes and I couldn't believe it! I told the rep that I've been running for 52 years and I have never experienced anything like this.
When I think about the New Balance Tracksters- my state of the art, 1972, running shoes I just cringe.
this one definitely had some “Zurich 97” vibes - that night there were also 3 track WRs as Kipketer went 1.41.24, Geb ran 12.41 to smash the 5 and Wilson Boit Kipketer also broke the steeples record with 7.59.08. The supporting cast had El G run 3.28 something and Michael Johnson run low 44s.
but yeah, haven’t seen a meet like this in a while - 3 big time track records in a night isn’t common.
How dense must people be to not understand its the SHOES???
Think its coincidence that literally everyone from HS kids to pros are running insane times, even at the start of a season when they will tell you they aren't even peaking yet for weeks?
All new WR's leave a bad taste in my mouth.
I'm happy people get to see fast times and records broken, but this is as close to cheating as you can get.
Which one? Why aren't all the athletes trying it and using it? When EPO arrived in the 1990s, everyone in the upper echelon of track and cycling used it or retired. Why do you think so many people (non PR, non winning athletes) aren't using this new drug now? Better morals?
We're caught in the weird part of history where things are changing with the shoes and people haven't adjusted to it yet so they are still comparing old to new.
Roughly similar to the pole vault, when they went from wood to metal to finally fiberglass poles in 1961 and suddenly every record was constantly being broken.
Also like the swimming super-suits.
Hopefully will all settle down by the end of the decade but who knows what will come up next.
Sure is going to be weird someday there are many runners going under 2 hours in a regular road marathon and everyone wonders why it was so hard before 2030 but of course the first time it happens there will be all kinds of accusations about new drugs and claims about new training, etc.
I, so often, wish that all of this was available in the early 70's when I started running.
I remember shoo gooing the soles of you shoes as they wore down and taping around the shoe when the upper came unglued from the sole.
There was no cushioning or support, there were just running shoes that weren't your wear around shoes.
It's so much better now. I just tried on a pair of super shoes and I couldn't believe it! I told the rep that I've been running for 52 years and I have never experienced anything like this.
When I think about the New Balance Tracksters- my state of the art, 1972, running shoes I just cringe.
Yep. When I put on the new Vaporfly 3s this week for the first time, it was like I was being bounced forward on a tiny trampoline. Insane how good they are.
My first pair of running shoes were the Bo Jackson edition Cross Trainers. I bought them because I was starting cross country and they had the word "cross" in the name. I didn't realize that "cross-training" was like doing stadium stairs and lifting weights...