Athing mu 1:55.04

What was up with the pacer? It looked like she ran 52 or 53 for the first 400...Athing was way behind her on the first lap. Makes you wonder what she would have run if the pacing was better.

If Mu decides to break the world record. I think running the rail and having a pacer that can pace up to 600M she will break the record.

rando from filly wrote:

What was up with the pacer? It looked like she ran 52 or 53 for the first 400...Athing was way behind her on the first lap. Makes you wonder what she would have run if the pacing was better.

Pacer was a sprinter...the worst kind of pacer for an 800, they have no concept....

Suspiria wrote:

Armstronglivs wrote:

She may run faster but beating 1.53 would take doping. Clean doesn't beat a doped world mark.

What not even 38 years later, that seems such a sweeping statement. So much has changed in regards to training, diet, recovery,shoe design ect that a record from that era must be possible drugs or no drugs. And it was drugs.

No, it hasn't. Running isn't rocket science. It's quite a simple sport. But doping has certainly changed it.

i agree with you,but shoe and track technology has made a difference.Im not sure if athing will break the world record or not,but here is something edwin moses has said on youtube.He ran a 400 hurdles pb of 47.02,and he says that if he had access to vaporfly spikes,and a super fast track,he'd have probably run 46.08 ! sadly im not able to post the link.If thats true,athing's 1.55.04 is worth about 1.56.8 in the 80s.

jeff tallon wrote:

i agree with you,but shoe and track technology has made a difference.Im not sure if athing will break the world record or not,but here is something edwin moses has said on youtube.He ran a 400 hurdles pb of 47.02,and he says that if he had access to vaporfly spikes,and a super fast track,he'd have probably run 46.08 ! sadly im not able to post the link.If thats true,athing's 1.55.04 is worth about 1.56.8 in the 80s.

We can't be sure what the difference is because we can't go back to the 80's. But quite apart from that, for Mu to break Jarmila's record is the equivalent of a 1.42-high male runner beating Rudisha's record. None have come close. That's a pretty big ask.

Better track surfaces and better shoes lead to faster times.

Meanwhile as with every top tier performance, the question of peds have to come in play. Is Mu Clean??

It's a shame that a proud American like Athing Mu returns from the Olympics with gold medal. Represents the USA with class. And then a media source like "trackalert " deliberately posts pictures of Athing Mu with her face and head cropped out. Tasteless act. Trackalert should apologize for being disrespectful.

Suspiria wrote:

What not even 38 years later, that seems such a sweeping statement. So much has changed in regards to training, diet, recovery,shoe design ect that a record from that era must be possible drugs or no drugs. And it was drugs.

This is true. But, any WR runner in the current era also has to be faster than the most talented dopers in the current era.

Reality Bath wrote:

Pacer was a sprinter...the worst kind of pacer for an 800, they have no concept....

Where are you going to find a pacer to bring her through 550-600 as she needs?

People on this thread have mentioned she needs 1:23.5. That's the indoor WR and Mu holds it. I know indoor and outdoor are not equal but where are you going to find a person who can run a WR 600 and willing to play second fiddle as a pacer? What is needed to set a WR is more complex than we realize in some cases.

As far as progression, I cringe that she will align with a sponsor/club/coach known for cheating creating doubt in anything she does going forward, accurate or not. Hell, some are already predicting that she will go the PED route to run faster when there has been absolutely nothing to indicate this in any way.

one idea - get 2 400 m or 400 m h runners - 1 who can run no faster than 54 to run 55 for the first lap, and another (maybe Cockrell) to take over at 400 m and go as far as she can at 28-29 s pace for the next 150. This is what is often done for the longer races.

Use_2_Runners! wrote:

one idea - get 2 400 m or 400 m h runners - 1 who can run no faster than 54 to run 55 for the first lap, and another (maybe Cockrell) to take over at 400 m and go as far as she can at 28-29 s pace for the next 150. This is what is often done for the longer races.

The idea of multiple pacers has to be considered, but do understand you are stating that Cockrell or another can be paced to Mu's WR for 600. I think it would be a stretch for anyone, with help of another pacer or not, to get Mu to 600 in sub 1:24. 550 is about the best hope and is this adequate for her to get the WR being alone for the final 250? And if a pacer could get Mu to 600 they would likely be a 1:56 person themselves, so why would they want to be a pacer?

I am not suggesting you are wrong because two pacers is the start of figuring out how someone so incredibly talented is helped, but it is not as easy as some want to believe.

Oh I agree, and the second runner may have to quit at 500 or 550. I did say "as far as she can". But at least the pace will be right. As you and others have pointed out getting someone all the way to 600 at the right pace will be tough.

Another thought for WR purposes, does it need to be a female only race?

Use_2_Runners! wrote:

Another thought for WR purposes, does it need to be a female only race?

All jokes about the inter-sex competitors aside, yes, it must be an all female field.

That brings up an interesting question. Could Semenya or another banned woman legally pace a women's 800? My guess is 'no' since they would be on the starting line for a distance they are not allowed to run.

Opinionated guy wrote:

Reality Bath wrote:

Pacer was a sprinter...the worst kind of pacer for an 800, they have no concept....

Where are you going to find a pacer to bring her through 550-600 as she needs?

People on this thread have mentioned she needs 1:23.5.

Why would she need to be on 1:51.33 pace through 600m? Stupid premise.

27.50

56.00 (28.50)

1:24.50 (28.50)

1:53.27 (28.77)

It would be better to contract an experienced, world class 800 woman to pace through 550 than to rely on B-level sprinters.

John Wesley Harding wrote:

Why would she need to be on 1:51.33 pace through 600m? Stupid premise.

27.50

56.00 (28.50)

1:24.50 (28.50)

1:53.27 (28.77)

It would be better to contract an experienced, world class 800 woman to pace through 550 than to rely on B-level sprinters.

Contributors to this thread provided the 1;23.5 which is Mu's indoor AR. I ran with that to show them it is not as easy as just calling Laura Muir, Raven Rogers, or others like them to rabbit.

Your last sentence is my question. If someone can run 1:24.5 I suspect they can run sub 1:57. Why would they serve as nothing more than a pacer/rabbit when they probably feel they could be in contention for the whole ball of wax? Finding "an experienced, world class 800 woman willing to pace through 600" is not an easy thing to find. I added "willing" and 600 in place of 550 to your quote. 600 would make the record attempt far more viable and willing may be the hardest part of it all.