I guess there have been a couple Webb emails circulating this year already, but seriously! The man is real.
3:46.91 US Mile record by Webb in Brasschatt
Saturday 21 July 2007
Alan Webb broke one of America's most venerated sports records when he scorched a 3:46.91 mile in a low-key meet in Brasschaat, Belgium tonight (21), breaking Steve Scott's 25-year-old record of 3:47.69 set in Oslo in 1982.
"It was awesome," said Webb by telephone just after setting the record. Then he joked, "I think I have the world record for the least number of spectators."
His manager, Ray Flynn, estimated that there were between 500 and 1000 people at the track which is set in a forest, bordered by tall trees.
Webb is now the eighth fastest to ever cover the distance, and the eighth to crack the 3:47 barrier.
Running in windless and comfortably warm conditions, Webb knocked off approximate quarters of 56.1, 57.4, 56.8 and 56.2, according to Flynn.
"It's just really been a tremendous year," Webb continued, pointing out that he still has a long career in front of him. "I'm not done. I'm only 24."
Webb, who won the U.S. indoor title at one mile and the outdoor title at 1500m this year, has now registered the fastest time in the world this year for both 1500m (3:30.54) and the mile. His 1500m performance, also a career best, came at the Meeting Gaz de France Paris Saint-Denis 15 days ago, the second stop of the six-meeting IAAF Golden League series. Today's race clearly gave him an added boost on his way to the IAAF World Championships in Osaka next month.
"I'm definitely looking to kick butt at Worlds," he said.
David Monti (Race Results Weekly) for the IAAF
the link: http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=39876.html
Also, Video is here
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3 comments:
I don't think Steve Scott has a ghost to chase, considering that I occasionally see him at meets in the area.
Great performance from Webb. It really proves his fitness. He's only a few strides away now from the fastest men ever.
1 3:43.13 Hicham El Guerrouj 07.07.1999
2 3:43.40 Noah Ngeny 07.07.1999
3 3:44.39 Noureddine Morceli 05.09.1993
4 3:44.60 Hicham El Guerrouj 16.07.1998
5 3:44.90 Hicham El Guerrouj 04.07.1997
6 3:44.95 Hicham El Guerrouj 29.06.2001
7 3:45.19 Noureddine Morceli 16.08.1995
8 3:45.64 Hicham El Guerrouj 26.08.1997
9 3:45.96 Hicham El Guerrouj 05.08.2000
10 3:46.24 Hicham El Guerrouj 28.07.2000
11 3:46.32 Steve Cram 27.07.1985
12 3:46.38 Daniel Komen 26.08.1997
13 3:46.70 Vénuste Niyongabo 26.08.1997
14 3:46.76 Saïd Aouita 02.07.1987
15 3:46.78 Noureddine Morceli 27.08.1993
16 3:46.91 Alan Webb USA 21.07.2007
el guerrouj, komen, niyongabo, and aouita all doubled at 5000, while cram doubled at 800. ngeny has the 1000m world record. Morceli sometimes moved up, and set a 3000m world record. Conclusion - most of these runners were "strength" milers, not "speed" milers.
other than lagat, most of the top milers in the world today (baala, ramzi, heshko) are speed milers. the kenyans i'm not sure about, because i never see them run anything other than 1500/mile.
webb is a definite strength miler. even with a new 1:45 800m pr, he is still slower than most of the other guys on that list
also, in regards to lifting weights, the fastest white guys (webb, scott, joe falcon, coe, ryun) tended to lift a lot. i don't think ovett lifted much, and i don't know enough about about elliot, cram, walker, flynn to say. but lifting seems pretty common for these guys.
el g also lifted extensively, and my guess would be that aouita and morceli did as well
Nice data, mark. In terms of lifting though, El G did more lower leg stuff (not to say that the others didn't), but Webb definitely has upper body as part of his regimen. Take a look at after he crosses the line as his arms extend and flex. His arms are huge!!!
Coe's training was ridiculous. Everybody always commented on how low of a mileage guy he was, but he was always in the gym. If you've read better training for distance runners, over the winter they had a very extensive total-body workout plan. They'd go into the fields and just do all these total-body exercises (play leap frog in the snow and all that). Peter Coe attributes that sort of total-body strength to why Coe could hold such good form at the end of his 800's.
Take a look at Webb's finishing form, he doesn't deteriorate much at all. I think he sometimes looks a bit strained, but he's still flying.
The cool thing is, Webb's still pretty young! 24. Damn.
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