¶2012 OG: wMar–Tiki Gelana (Eth) 2:23:07 OR

[dj]

T&FN formchart

1. Mary Keitany (Kenya)
2. Liliya Shobukhova (Russia)
3. Edna Kiplagat (Kenya)
4. Shalane Flanagan (USA)
5. Priscah Jeptoo (Kenya)
6. Chunxiu Zhou (China)
7. Aselefech Mergia (Ethiopia)
8. Jiali Wang (China)
9. Tiki Gelana (Ethiopia)
10. Sultan Haydar (Turkey)

[Michak]

Anyone in London know how wide are the roads on the loop between St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London? Also on the map it shows 2 near 180 degree turns does anyone know actually how sharp those turns are?

[Master Po]

Anyone in London know how wide are the roads on the loop between St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London? Also on the map it shows 2 near 180 degree turns does anyone know actually how sharp those turns are?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Olymp ... hon_Course

The Wikipedia entry on the marathon course is very thorough, describing pretty much everything about this course (except the width of the streets -- no help there -- but I'm sure someone on site will comment). To your other question: The Wiki entry refers to the turns you mention as "U-turns," so (combined with what we see on the map) I would take these to be ~180-degree turns.

[nevetsllim]

Anyone in London know how wide are the roads on the loop between St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London? Also on the map it shows 2 near 180 degree turns does anyone know actually how sharp those turns are?

I'm not a fan of the course. Parts of it (if not all of it) have been used for the Bupa London 10,000m and it's a twisty course which is hardly ideal for athletes or spectators. From memory and from walking around the area, parts of the course are fairly narrow too.

I'm fairly disappointed the marathon won't be ending in the Olympic stadium. I'm sure there would still be great crowds out towards Stratford and I think the stadium would still be full, which it sometimes isn't for major champs.

[aaronk]

In my "Pick the medalists" choices, I put Flanagan in for Silver....and the only American.

Can't explain (or really know!!) why, but I think you could easily replace Flanagan with Goucher!!
I know Shalane has faster track times than Kara, but I think (can't explain this either!!) Goucher has more "hidden potential" than Shalane does.

Flanagan goes on a steely tough exterior, while Goucher appears to have an approach nearer to Zen.

However, I think BOTH could make BIG jumps in time....if it's a fast race (2:20, give or take one minute).

If it goes at 2:25 through 20 miles, both Flanagan and Goucher would have a chance to medal.

BTW, what's the latest on Desiree Davila??
A story said she was out, but then she tweeted "Wow! News to me!".
So is she in.....or not??
(If out, I'd like to see Hastings drop from the 10K and replace Davila!!)

[TN1965]

If the pace is slow, that gives advantage to Shobukhova. So I think Kenyans and Ethiopians will push the pace to avoid a sprint finish.

Another way Flanagan could medal is if the lead pack goes at a suicidal pace, and all but one or two of them blow up. Then she can pick up the falling runners the same way she did in Beijing's 10000m.

[Alan Shank]

In my "Pick the medalists" choices, I put Flanagan in for Silver....and the only American.

Can't explain (or really know!!) why, but I think you could easily replace Flanagan with Goucher!!
I know Shalane has faster track times than Kara, but I think (can't explain this either!!) Goucher has more "hidden potential" than Shalane does.

Now I see why you have US winning 38 medals! >:-)
Cheers,
Alan Shank
Woodland, CA, USA

[doug5321]

if we see any surprises from the chinese in the track and field events, my guess is it would be in this event.

i agree flanagan has an excellent chance to medal (i also have her getting silver in the letsrun contest) excellent 3,5 and 10000 speed, olympic bronze in 10000, world xc bronze in 2011 (the hardest race for a distance runner to medal in) has run well in her only 2 marathons 2nd to e. kiplagat in new york beating keitany and winning the trials her marathons were slow 2:28 and 2:25, but her track times make her definetely capable of sub 2:20, kastor ran 2:19, and flanagan at 3000, 5000 and 10000 is way faster than kastor ever was, so fast or slow she has a shot to medal.

[lovetorun]

Doug 5321 nice analysis re Flanagan's strengths and possibility to medal. I have a feeling we'll have no medals..but hope I'm wrong. Goucher could easily get in the top ten even though she's not listed above.

[aaronk]

After a solid day of thrills (Ennis, Farah, Rupp, that great women's 100, etc), it's time for the women's marathon!!

But why the 11 a.m. (London time) start??

Did you watch the men's 20K walk today??
Looked like the heat was affecting some of the walkers.
One was taken away in an ambulance (Heffernan??)!!
And they started their race (which took less than 1:30 for most) at 2 p..m., British time.

The marathon, which takes about an hour longer, is still starting too late, even though 3 hours earlier.
Couldn't they have begun it at 8 or 9 a.m., London time??

I hope the London Ambulance Service has a lot of extra ambulances!!!

[bobguild76]

Here's hoping for a great race by Flanagan & Goucher & (hopefully) Davila. I wonder what shape Shubokhova is in. With all the twists & turns, I wonder if the Kenyans and/or Ethiopians will try an early break to get out of sight from the rest of the field. If it goes out at a moderate pace, I think Flanagan & Goucher have the goods to finish top 10, maybe top 5.

If Keitany & Kiplagat run free, look out.
If Shubokhova is in last years shape, she will go top 2.
Who knows how the Ethiopians will do on the Big Stage?
If Flanagan channels her Beijing mojo, she gets bronze again.
Chinese? Japanese? Never count them out.

My (hopeful) predictions;
1. Keitany
2. Flanagan
3. Kiplagat
4. Shubokhova
5. Ethiopia

[aaronk]

I just counted the number of starters.
118.
That's right......one hundred and eighteen!!!
How in Hell did that number get so large??
Wasn't there a cut-off number for total number of starters??
And if the course is so narrow in parts, isn't it asking for trouble to send 118 women through a narrow corridor.....especially if it's early in the race, when they're all bunched??
I at least hope they'll put the faster gals up front!!

I've run in big races before (Bay to Breakers), and it sometimes took MINUTES just to cross the STARTING line!!!
I know it won't be like that tomorrow, but this is insane!!!
The 20K walkers only had about 40 starters!!
Also, will the race finish on the track, as per usual??

[pakillo]

Race won't finish on the track.

Go Japan!

[bobguild76]

Dark Horse ... Kim Smith of New Zealand. If she puts the whole race together, she could be top 5. I don't think the field will let anyone go, as Dita went 4 years ago, but Smith could go with an early surge and hold it to the end.

[gibson]

this is fun.

at 50 minutes in....

there are a lot of women with terrible terrible styles... just terrible.
the africans generally run well. they don't hurt your eyes.
seems few of them know how to position themselves to get drinks and move forward.

[j-a-m]

Keitany, Jeptoo, Gelana and a Russian in the lead. Interesting how Jeptoo put in some additional effort to get a waterbottle for her teammate.

[j-a-m]

Group down to three, favorite Keitany can't keep up.

[j-a-m]

Gelana winning ahead of Jeptoo.

[croflash]

Petrova Arkhipova won silver in the 3000m steeplechase five years ago in Osaka.

[aaronk]

10th and 11th for Shalane and Kara!!!
In a fairly slow race .......even though tthe OG record was broken (barely!!)......they just couldn't keep up.
I think they're both much better than they ran today!!
But heck......10th and 11th in that crowd ain't so bad, eh??!!

[j-a-m]

Don't know much about the marathon, but happy to see the athlete win that looked the least skinny among the top 10 finishers.

[aaronk]

Don't know much about the marathon, but happy to see the athlete win that looked the least skinny among the top 10 finishers.

There are (at least) two ways to describe a distance runner's frame.....

Anorexic or.........lean and mean!!!

ALL of these gals were lean and mean!!!!!

[nevetsllim]

I know the Ethiopians have a disappointing record in major championships but Gelana should have never been ranked so low on the formchart. I don't think I've ever seen anyone finish the way she did in Rotterdam in April.

[aaronk]

Final times not up yet, but here's the progress of Flanagan and Goucher:

At the half, Flanagan was right with the leaders in 1:13:13.
Goucher was 1 second back.
At 25K, Shalane was 4 secs back, and Goucher 6.
At 30K, Shalane had dropped 11 seconds back.
Kara was now 30 secs back.
At 35K, Flanagan was 28 back, while Kara had fallen behind by 1:09.
At 40K, the leaders were at 2:16:10.
Shalane was then 1:33 behind, or at 2:17:43.
But Goucher had fallen 2:15 behind, so was at 2:18:25 at 40K!!
The winner, Gelano, ran 2:23:07 (unofficial), an Olympic Games record by 7 seconds.
If Shalane and Kara ran an average pace, they probably finished in under 2:25 (Flanagan), and under 2:26 (Goucher).
But still waiting for official results.

BTW, the halves were run in 1:13:13 and 1:09:54 (for Gelano)!!

[bobguild76]

10th and 11th for Shalane and Kara!!!
In a fairly slow race .......even though tthe OG record was broken (barely!!)......they just couldn't keep up.
I think they're both much better than they ran today!!
But heck......10th and 11th in that crowd ain't so bad, eh??!!

So true! It seemed that Shalane went through a really lonely and bad patch after Arkhipova went past her. When she passed Kiplagat, I thought she might be re-invigorated, but it wasn't to be. She seemed to maintain a good rhythm, but in the last 5k she must have been hurting bad. Knowing when to press and when to back off is such a fine line.

Kara sure closed well though. In the final analysis, they were 10th & 11th, and that is amazing! T'was a great race!

[aaronk]

Official results in....some highlights:

1. Gelano.....2:23:07 (OR)
2. Jeptoo.....2:23:12
3. Petrova Arkhipova....2:23:29
4. Keitany....2:23:56
10. Flanagan....2:25:51
11. Goucher....2:26:07
14. I Mikitenko.....2:26:44
15. K Smith.........2:26:59
20. E Kiplagat......2:27:52

DNF's included:
Desiree Davila (Did she even start??)
Shubukhova
L Kiplagat

[Fielding Melish]

Absolutely greatest race for depth in history of women's marathoning.

All time best 29 women sub-2:30 and every single place from 18 through 77 set new fastest time record.

[gh]

I know the Ethiopians have a disappointing record in major championships but Gelana should have never been ranked so low on the formchart. I don't think I've ever seen anyone finish the way she did in Rotterdam in April.

Hindsight is always 100% of course.You have to be on record with that opinion before the race to have any cred.

[Master Po]

Official results in....some highlights:

1. Gelano.....2:23:07 (OR)
2. Jeptoo.....2:23:12
3. Petrova Arkhipova....2:23:29
4. Keitany....2:23:56
10. Flanagan....2:25:51
11. Goucher....2:26:07
14. I Mikitenko.....2:26:44
15. K Smith.........2:26:59
20. E Kiplagat......2:27:52

DNF's included:
Desiree Davila (Did she even start??)
Shubukhova
L Kiplagat

She did start: At the beginning of the race, just after the start, there's an aerial shot in which you can see Davila running on the righthand side of the screen (left side of the street from Davila's perspective). She looks to be running uncomfortably, and is not marked as having a 5km split. So, must have dropped very early.

Another to notice in the DNF's is Mara Yamauchi (GBR, 2:23 PB). She had a 5km split, but not 10km. Injury of some sort must have been significant enough to take her out the competition early on.

[Master Po]

I know the Ethiopians have a disappointing record in major championships but Gelana should have never been ranked so low on the formchart. I don't think I've ever seen anyone finish the way she did in Rotterdam in April.

Hindsight is always 100% of course.You have to be on record with that opinion before the race to have any cred.

Agree w nevetsllim's post-diction! (I know it's hindsight, but that's about all I've got, and it's not 100% accurate...)

[gh]

Flanagan tweet

<<Not content with 10th, battled nasty cramps last 2miles, BUT I ran the marathon in the freakin Olympics! ...>>

[nevetsllim]

I know the Ethiopians have a disappointing record in major championships but Gelana should have never been ranked so low on the formchart. I don't think I've ever seen anyone finish the way she did in Rotterdam in April.

Hindsight is always 100% of course.You have to be on record with that opinion before the race to have any cred.

I'm a bit sceptical of how Ethiopian marathoners might perhaps at major championships so I wasn't wholly confident but I was hugely impressed with her in Rotterdam and I did start this thread!

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=46462&p=751908&hilit=Gelana#p751908

[Conor Dary]

Don't know much about the marathon, but happy to see the athlete win that looked the least skinny among the top 10 finishers.

Maybe they could combine the race with a pie eating contest.

[aaronk]

Flanagan tweet

<<Not content with 10th, battled nasty cramps last 2miles, BUT I ran the marathon in the freakin Olympics! ...>>

Her tweet reflects the times of Flanagan and Goucher for the final 2.2K (from 40K in).

Kara ran her final 2.2K in 7:42.
For Shalane, it took 8:08.

(Edit: For perspective, it took Gelana only 6:57 for her final 2.2K!!!)