Page 5 of 5
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2024 6:38 pm
by Phil H
The other point about Kipchoge's run, if it's not too obvious to be worth saying, is that there wasn't anyone else in the race - the event literally only existed to try and get him below 2 hours.
I remember watching it live and I still think it's one of the best things I've seen in sport, but equally I don't think it's remotely comparable to a record set in a traditional competition.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2024 9:28 pm
by Gavin Chipper
In other news, Dwain Chambers made the UK indoor championships 60m semi-finals
at the age of 45! He has previously served a drugs ban of course.
And Josh Kerr
beat the 2-mile indoor world record. It's "only" the indoor record obviously, but his time of 8:00.67 would be the 4th fastest time and 3rd person on the
all-time list outdoors. It is, however, a non-standard event, so arguably the competition level is lower.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2024 2:07 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Also Grant Holloway
beat the 60m indoor hurdles record.
And an outdoors one - Letsile Tebogo
beat the 300m world record with a time of 30.69, beating Wayde van Niekerk's 30.81 and Michael Johnson's 30.85, which was the record before that.
Re: Track and Field Athletics
Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2024 2:31 pm
by Adam Gillard
Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Mon Oct 12, 2020 8:51 pm
Ian Volante wrote: ↑Mon Oct 12, 2020 12:10 pm
Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon Oct 12, 2020 11:06 am
And on the high jump / pole vault thing, surely nowadays they could have a system of laser beams or something to measure the height you reach, so each jump is properly measured, rather than having to get over each set height!
Aye, but you can't ask people to jump over nothing. The bar provides a point in space to aim for, and tactile feedback, both crucial. I'd agree that the distance above the bar might also be measured by such a method, another way of doing this could be to have them jumping over a large pile of tiny bricks which would act in the same way as sand.
Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon Oct 12, 2020 11:06 am
The long jump and triple jump are also pretty crude. Your jump is measured by the further back bit of sand that is disturbed I believe, but when you land, it must be pretty random how far backwards the disturbance goes. Lasers all round!
In this case, not falling backwards is part of the skill. It's easy to throw your feet way out in front of you, but there's not much point just measuring where they land if you're laying flat on your back afterwards. I'd suggest that the long jump can be seen as analogous to getting across a river, and where any of you hits the surface is crucial in that situation.
When it comes to long jump (and triple jump for those that consider it a non joke event) it would be nice if the measurement was from take off to landing.
Some big jumps were from before the plasticine mark
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/68345703
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2024 3:00 pm
by Gavin Chipper
That would be very interesting but by reducing the take-off gap to zero, it does kind of break old records. They do generally show the gap to the line nowadays anyway, but I don't know if they know the gaps for the old records of Mike Powell and Jonathan Edwards.
Re: Track and Field Athletics
Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2024 4:08 pm
by Marc Meakin
Adam Gillard wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 2:31 pm
Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Mon Oct 12, 2020 8:51 pm
Ian Volante wrote: ↑Mon Oct 12, 2020 12:10 pm
Aye, but you can't ask people to jump over nothing. The bar provides a point in space to aim for, and tactile feedback, both crucial. I'd agree that the distance above the bar might also be measured by such a method, another way of doing this could be to have them jumping over a large pile of tiny bricks which would act in the same way as sand.
In this case, not falling backwards is part of the skill. It's easy to throw your feet way out in front of you, but there's not much point just measuring where they land if you're laying flat on your back afterwards. I'd suggest that the long jump can be seen as analogous to getting across a river, and where any of you hits the surface is crucial in that situation.
When it comes to long jump (and triple jump for those that consider it a non joke event) it would be nice if the measurement was from take off to landing.
Some big jumps were from before the plasticine mark
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/68345703
Even though I'm all for records being broken but isn't the take off board part of the discipline and therefore levelling the playing field somewhat.
I mean Javelin throws are under the same type of problem, judging when to release.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2024 4:11 pm
by Marc Meakin
Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 3:00 pm
That would be very interesting but by reducing the take-off gap to zero, it does kind of break old records. They do generally show the gap to the line nowadays anyway, but I don't know if they know the gaps for the old records of Mike Powell and Jonathan Edwards.
I agree that old records should be preserved and effectively a new discipline is created.
You could take it a srmtep further with other athletics events like doing away with false starts and measuring times from the blocks which could turn the 100 metres into a VAR situation where the athlete who crosses the line first maybe didn't actually 'win'
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 12:29 pm
by Ian Volante
I can fully understand why existing athletes are whinging about this idea, as they've practised for a long time to perfect the take-off. If it becomes just a long jump event rather than a long jump from as close to an arbitary line as possible, then it simply renders a lot of their work obsolete. Doesn't mean it's not a much better idea though.
I wonder if it might encourage more sprinters to double up again. Carl Lewis is the last person I remember being particularly successful at both.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 5:42 pm
by Marc Meakin
Ian Volante wrote: ↑Wed Feb 21, 2024 12:29 pm
I can fully understand why existing athletes are whinging about this idea, as they've practised for a long time to perfect the take-off. If it becomes just a long jump event rather than a long jump from as close to an arbitary line as possible, then it simply renders a lot of their work obsolete. Doesn't mean it's not a much better idea though.
I wonder if it might encourage more sprinters to double up again. Carl Lewis is the last person I remember being particularly successful at both.
I think his sister doubled up too.
Maybe they could use it for the Decathlon/Heptathlon first
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 6:17 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Ian Volante wrote: ↑Wed Feb 21, 2024 12:29 pm
I can fully understand why existing athletes are whinging about this idea, as they've practised for a long time to perfect the take-off. If it becomes just a long jump event rather than a long jump from as close to an arbitary line as possible, then it simply renders a lot of their work obsolete. Doesn't mean it's not a much better idea though.
I wonder if it might encourage more sprinters to double up again. Carl Lewis is the last person I remember being particularly successful at both.
I agree it's probably better overall if you were starting from scratch. I'm not sure it would make that much difference to sprinters though. Of the skills required to double up as a long-jumper, I don't think being able to get near to the board is probably the most challenging.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 6:20 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Ian Volante wrote: ↑Wed Feb 21, 2024 12:29 pm
I can fully understand why existing athletes are whinging about this idea, as they've practised for a long time to perfect the take-off. If it becomes just a long jump event rather than a long jump from as close to an arbitary line as possible, then it simply renders a lot of their work obsolete. Doesn't mean it's not a much better idea though.
I wonder if it might encourage more sprinters to double up again. Carl Lewis is the last person I remember being particularly successful at both.
This would obviously be crazy!
I've said before though that an argument could be made for reducing all times by 0.1 seconds, as you're not allowed to start until that amount of time has elapsed, so it's effectively not part of the race.
But then it might technically be possible to win a race in -0.1 seconds. At the start, your fingers have to be behind the line, but at the finish it's some other part of your body that has to cross the line, so if you had a long enough body, you could already be across the finish line when the guns goes off.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2024 1:01 pm
by Ian Volante
Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Wed Feb 21, 2024 6:20 pm
Ian Volante wrote: ↑Wed Feb 21, 2024 12:29 pm
I can fully understand why existing athletes are whinging about this idea, as they've practised for a long time to perfect the take-off. If it becomes just a long jump event rather than a long jump from as close to an arbitary line as possible, then it simply renders a lot of their work obsolete. Doesn't mean it's not a much better idea though.
I wonder if it might encourage more sprinters to double up again. Carl Lewis is the last person I remember being particularly successful at both.
This would obviously be crazy!
I've said before though that an argument could be made for reducing all times by 0.1 seconds, as you're not allowed to start until that amount of time has elapsed, so it's effectively not part of the race.
But then it might technically be possible to win a race in -0.1 seconds. At the start, your fingers have to be behind the line, but at the finish it's some other part of your body that has to cross the line, so if you had a long enough body, you could already be across the finish line when the guns goes off.
This might be more relevant in races with a standing start. As it is, having the hands behind a line makes as much sense as anything. In longer races, it's feet behind the line, as that's easiest to measure and because reaction times are irrelevant at that distance anyway.
If you were going to change anything, I'd suggest that the starting blocks be the point at which a race starts: make them fixed behind a line, and force athletes to use them. You don't need to faff with checking finger positions then.
Another potential change would be to measure the first body part/ski across the line like they do in cross-country skiing or parallel ski racing for example. Not worth the bother of resetting previous records though.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Thu Feb 29, 2024 7:38 pm
by Marc Meakin
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Sat May 25, 2024 7:42 pm
by Gavin Chipper
The Eugene Diamond League is on the BBC tonight from 9, but in the pre-televised stuff, Beatrice Chebet has just broken the women's 10,000m world record with a
time of 28:54.14. Not as quick as the road time set by Agnes Ngetich earlier in the year of 28:46 though, but I think I said above about how shoe rules seem to favour road times these days.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Sun May 26, 2024 11:43 am
by Marc Meakin
Steve Crams mile record from 1985 has just been broken
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2024 5:09 pm
by Marc Meakin
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2024 6:31 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Drugs?
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2024 6:59 pm
by Marc Meakin
Obviously ,but drug cheats ate found out after a urine or blood sample
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2024 7:55 pm
by Gavin Chipper
"The Tribunal rejected Kipruto's defence, concluding the 'cause for the abnormalities in the ABP is more likely to be due to blood manipulation' such as through the use of recombinant human erythropoietin (rEPO)," said the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which has enforced the ban.
"There was 'no other plausible explanation' for the abnormal values."
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2024 9:27 pm
by Marc Meakin
Amazing 800 metres Pattison goes second behind Coe in the all time list by finishing 5th
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2024 12:54 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 9:27 pm
Amazing 800 metres Pattison goes second behind Coe in the all time list by finishing 5th
It's interesting that the men's 800m has suddenly become a competitive event. Over the last few years, people have rarely gone under 1:43, and getting a 1:42.xx generally means you're a gold medal contender. With the world record at 1:40.91 and Sebastian Coe's ancient British record (and ex world record) at 1:41.73, this is not great. But now suddenly multiple people have been running in the 1:41s and a whole host more in the 1:42s. Not sure where this has come from.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2024 1:35 pm
by Marc Meakin
Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Tue Jul 16, 2024 12:54 pm
Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 9:27 pm
Amazing 800 metres Pattison goes second behind Coe in the all time list by finishing 5th
It's interesting that the men's 800m has suddenly become a competitive event. Over the last few years, people have rarely gone under 1:43, and getting a 1:42.xx generally means you're a gold medal contender. With the world record at 1:40.91 and Sebastian Coe's ancient British record (and ex world record) at 1:41.73, this is not great. But now suddenly multiple people have been running in the 1:41s and a whole host more in the 1:42s. Not sure where this has come from.
It always used to be a fast 400 followed by another fast 200 and a blistering last 200.
I always wondered apart from the great Cuban Alberto Juanterino there was never any serious 4 and 800 metre doubles
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2024 8:21 am
by Marc Meakin
https://talksport.com/sport/2034304/usa ... n-warholm/
This is impressive.
More like this please
I'm curious if Duplantis run up in the pole vault is faster than his competitors ?
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2024 10:39 am
by Gavin Chipper
I remember when Usain Bolt and Mo Farah were going to have a race over about 600m but it never happened. That would have been more interesting I think.
Anyway I watched the whole thing
here.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2024 10:59 am
by Marc Meakin
Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2024 10:39 am
I remember when Usain Bolt and Mo Farah were going to have a race over about 600m but it never happened. That would have been more interesting I think.
Anyway I watched the whole thing
here.
I would have backed Mo on that one.
400 would be closer
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2024 11:46 am
by Gavin Chipper
Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2024 10:59 am
Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2024 10:39 am
I remember when Usain Bolt and Mo Farah were going to have a race over about 600m but it never happened. That would have been more interesting I think.
Anyway I watched the whole thing
here.
I would have backed Mo on that one.
400 would be closer
Bolt would have easily won at 400m. I think I read somewhere that a more realistic crossover point would have been about 550m.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2024 12:58 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Wed Sep 27, 2023 1:07 pm
Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 1:18 pm
Assefa breaks the women's Marathon record
From 2:14:04 to 2:11:53. Absolutely massive. Some people think all the new shoes devalue the records.
It's now gone from
2:11:53 to 2:09:57 in one go. Set by Ruth Chepngetich. Interesting.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2024 5:41 pm
by Phil H
Apparently she knocked 4:22 off her previous PB, and both her splits broke her half marathon PB. Unsurprising that it's been met with some scepticism in that light.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2024 12:15 am
by Fiona T
Fiona T wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 6:18 pm
New parkrun record!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66010152
That's some parkrun debut.
(There are some miserable feckers on twitter - "I thought parkrun was about participation not speed" etc... - it is, but there's still a record and it just got broken!)
Record broken
https://fastrunning.com/running-athleti ... 2024/37802
"Nick Griggs ran the fastest parkrun ever this weekend with a 13:44 at Belfast Victoria parkrun in Northern Ireland. "
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/belfastvictoria/results/630/
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2024 8:31 am
by Gavin Chipper
Yeah, one second!
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2024 11:21 am
by Marc Meakin
Surely Parkrun course are all different terrain , etc
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2024 12:51 pm
by Fiona T
Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sun Nov 10, 2024 11:21 am
Surely Parkrun course are all different terrain , etc
Yes, and the timing is done with a stopwatch - it's not a race and the timing would never account for anything official, but it's still the fastest recorded parkrun!
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 3:33 pm
by Marc Meakin
I guess there is some Kudos for holding the record but I'm sure somewhere in the British Isles there is a park run that's most suited for breaking records
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 4:02 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Mon Nov 11, 2024 3:33 pm
I guess there is some Kudos for holding the record but I'm sure somewhere in the British Isles there is a park run that's most suited for breaking records
There is a
list of parkruns by fastness. Pegwell Bay at the top is thought to be short, although they may have changed the course since the list was done.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 5:13 pm
by Marc Meakin
[q
uote="Gavin Chipper" post_id=213923 time=1731340969 user_id=89]
Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Mon Nov 11, 2024 3:33 pm
I guess there is some Kudos for holding the record but I'm sure somewhere in the British Isles there is a park run that's most suited for breaking records
There is a
list of parkruns by fastness. Pegwell Bay at the top is thought to be short, although they may have changed the course since the list was done.
[/quote]
Not too far from where I live
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2024 12:42 pm
by Ian Volante
Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon Nov 11, 2024 4:02 pm
Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Mon Nov 11, 2024 3:33 pm
I guess there is some Kudos for holding the record but I'm sure somewhere in the British Isles there is a park run that's most suited for breaking records
There is a
list of parkruns by fastness. Pegwell Bay at the top is thought to be short, although they may have changed the course since the list was done.
I've moved from near #32 to near #638. Definitely less fun.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2024 1:37 pm
by Marc Meakin
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/a ... glggr6e2po
That's a mighty impressive first time marathon.
I'm thinking that the 2 hour barrier might be broken in my my lifetime
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2024 1:58 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Kelvin Kiptum probably would have done it by now.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2024 10:25 am
by Jon Corby
Why the fuck does that article have the winner's time in words and everyone else's in digits?
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2024 12:01 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Jon Corby wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2024 10:25 am
Why the fuck does that article have the winner's time in words and everyone else's in digits?
I thought the same. At first I wondered why they didn't mention the time and then I noticed it.
Good to have you back for the pressing issues.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2024 1:05 pm
by Ian Volante
Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2024 12:01 pm
Jon Corby wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2024 10:25 am
Why the fuck does that article have the winner's time in words and everyone else's in digits?
I thought the same. At first I wondered why they didn't mention the time and then I noticed it.
Good to have you back for the pressing issues.
Good to set out the units at first mention, then abbreviate for the rest of the paper. Facile in this case obvs, but good practice more generally.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2024 1:16 pm
by Gavin Chipper
They should have the time using digits in brackets after the wordy time as that explicitly sets the precedent and makes it easier to read. So I'd say it's been poorly done in this case.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2024 4:23 pm
by Marc Meakin
Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2024 1:16 pm
They should have the time using digits in brackets after the wordy time as that explicitly sets the precedent and makes it easier to read. So I'd say it's been poorly done in this case.
It reminds me of the football scores. If a team won 8 : 0 it would have the word eight in brackets
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2025 1:24 pm
by Marc Meakin
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2025 10:12 pm
by Adam Gillard
So pleased to see Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce bowing out with her 25th global medal, particularly after the debacle in Paris where she was one of the athletes affected by being initially denied access to the stadium.
I've always loved watching her race; she's such a distinctive character both on the track and off it. 13 global golds and returning to Japan 18 years after her first global medal in Osaka.
A true legend of the sport and a great ambassador for it.
Re: Track and Field (and Road) Athletics
Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2025 5:33 pm
by Gavin Chipper
It's been a very long and successful career for her. I thought the women's 400m was quite a highlight with both Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Marileidy Paulino both going under 48 seconds. It's a shame that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has been wasting her career with the Mickey Mouse version of the event until now!