This is a fair question and one I have struggled with. Perhaps the people leading the charge at 5/10K are still trying to make that work and haven't turned their training towards the longer road distances. Perhaps when they make that move, the trend will fall in line for the Marathon too.
Think about it...just think about it. Our best marathoners now get smoked on the world stage in the marathon. If they moved down to the 10000m they get smoked there too. ie Conner Mantz running 27:25 a couple years ago in the 10000m on the track. That's 30 to 50 seconds away from being competitive with the best in the world. Our current best American marathoners watch them in Paris. At best they will be a mile back at the finish. The only top prospects we currently have if they move up to the marathon is Grant Fisher and Nico Young that I can think of. And I highly doubt Grant ever moves up to the marathon. I hope he does
I think there is a fallacy involved in most "they should move up to the marathon" discussions; namely, the thinking that since [any athlete] isn't the greatest ever at their regular distance, therefore they should move up to something longer (especially the marathon), at which they presumably would be better. But this is obviously wrong, because it assumes that all runners are the best in the world if you increase the distance at which they ideally race far enough.
Maybe we should just be happy that Grant Fisher (for instance) is really good at 3K to 10K. It seems unlikely that he'll ever set a world record. But he's moved the American records forward, and he's a medal threat and consistently one of the top 5k/10k runners in the world.
It's your collegiate system that fixates on shorter distances. Volume isn't enough to make an effective transition to marathons, and the years spent getting there mean people are too old when they do. Can't have it all. Fixing the problem would mean a reduction of level in 1500m, 5000m etc. The U.S.A. system won't allow that.
I'm hoping Klecker decides to move up after this injury. Based on his 5k/10k PBs and his ability to grind out races, I think he would have a shot at the AR in both the half and full distances. Fisher is obviously the best candidate, but it remains to be seen how long he sticks with the track.
agreed. Klecker doesn't quite have the wheels to close track races with the best. But neither did Kipchoge...
It's your collegiate system that fixates on shorter distances. Volume isn't enough to make an effective transition to marathons, and the years spent getting there mean people are too old when they do. Can't have it all. Fixing the problem would mean a reduction of level in 1500m, 5000m etc. The U.S.A. system won't allow that.
Not buying it. The best distance runners (who don't turn pro early) train for and run at least two 10Ks and a handful of 8Ks each autumn for four years in college. It should be a really simple transition to go from four xc blocks to half-marathon blocks and then marathon blocks. Hall did it just fine after being a collegiate 1500-5000 guy.
Super shoes have made runners 15s faster at 5k, 30s faster at 10k, and 90-120s faster at the marathon. But they don't close an existing gap. To close that gap, lots of drugs are needed. The penalties are a bigger deterrent for Americans than other places. Some will do it, but not enough to compete with the army of runners world wide who are willing to go all in.
They’re running the same marathon times that American men we’re running 50 years ago without super shoes and with much slower 5k and 10k PRs. I don’t get it
It's very simple really. The marathon is a race where soo many factors come into play rather than just shoe tech.
This is my answer to OP’s question too but I wanted to read through all the responses to see if anyone else beat me to it first. Took until page 2 to finally see someone say it.
People don’t want to train like Bill Rodgers anymore, doing endless Jamaica Pond laps. But his times remain elusive to so many today precisely for the reason of getting blown out of the water by his volume.
Klecker is a little bulky to be a great marathoner. would have to lose 15-20 lbs.
I think he's 6'0" tall and I would guess 155 pounds? That's not bad. I think he looks bigger in photos then he is because he has broad shoulders and strong features. Weight is a big deal in the marathon, but he has a chance to be a 2:05 guy (eventually).
Klecker is a little bulky to be a great marathoner. would have to lose 15-20 lbs.
I think he's 6'0" tall and I would guess 155 pounds? That's not bad. I think he looks bigger in photos then he is because he has broad shoulders and strong features. Weight is a big deal in the marathon, but he has a chance to be a 2:05 guy (eventually).
Klecker is a giant. He wears size 17 shoes. Not sure on exact height and weight but it would be strange to have size 17 feet and only be 6 ft.
14 Americains have gone sub 13. Many of those could run great marathons if they stepped up early. Rupp obviously did already. I think Fisher, Klecker, and Young have great marthons in the future if they want it. Many waited too long though, and guys like Ritz were plagued by bad health. Fisher and Young especially strike me as great marathoners if they step up early. Fisher especially should, he'd be lucky to sneak a bronze in the 10k.
sometime after this olympics Fisher needs to move up
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Sadly I agree, he got good speed but it would take a freak of nature and an act of divine intervention for him to ever win a 5 or 10 Gold. Regardless of how he does in Paris, he needs to start focusing mainly on the 10000 and the MARATHON. Maybe the marathon training could take hi 10000 to a higher level in where he actually compete aggressively and medals in Worlds and Olympics.
Siffan has shown the training is possible to run multiple fast track 10000m and a marathon every year
sometime after this olympics Fisher needs to move up
...
Sadly I agree, he got good speed but it would take a freak of nature and an act of divine intervention for him to ever win a 5 or 10 Gold. Regardless of how he does in Paris, he needs to start focusing mainly on the 10000 and the MARATHON. Maybe the marathon training could take hi 10000 to a higher level in where he actually compete aggressively and medals in Worlds and Olympics.
Siffan has shown the training is possible to run multiple fast track 10000m and a marathon every year
Would Fisher really be able to realistically win a marathon gold without a “freak of nature and an act of divine intervention”? Fisher is currently the only American who can hang with the best on the world stage in the 5k and 10k and who has a shot at medaling. If he moves up to the marathon, we just have the same problem but in reverse where we don’t have anyone in the 5k/10k who can contend, at least until Nico improves further (and perhaps other collegiates like Blanks/Wolfe).