5000m + 10000m - It’s All About Mo
Mo Farah was one of the golden boys of the 2012 London Olympics, and now the proud British Somali immigrant is preparing himself for one of the toughest races of his career. Following two Olympic gold medals and five world championship titles, Farah became the first athlete to achieve the distance ‘triple-double’ – winning the 5000m and 10,000m at the Olympics, then two world championships in succession.
Winning back-to-back gold medals over distance events at Rio would place Farah in rarefied air, but he will face stiff competition from a host of runners, especially Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor and Bedan Karoki. The duo recently beat Farah at the world half-marathon championships, and it’s not only form Farah needs to contend with but also the combative tactics of the Kenyans. Kenyans are famous for running as a team and employing team tactics to combat their opposition and mitigate their strengths.
Team Tactics in Distance Running
Tactics are a fascinating part of any distance race, and they have been instrumental in shaping Olympic and World Championship competitions throughout history. It’s not only Kenyans who employ team race tactics, but they have certainly mastered this discipline. It’s common to see one teammate set the pace while his compatriots sit back and conserve energy, knowing when to kick as part of a predetermined race plan.
About
At the 1968 Mexico Olympics, the Kenyan team successfully employed team a strategy to defeat the favorite and world record holder, Jim Ryun. Kip Keino was able to run to victory after teammate Ben Jipcho sacrificed himself by running at a breakneck pace to counter and weaken Ryun’s famous kick. Jipcho set an intense pace, eventually wilting Ryun’s ability to kick and win: while Keino ran on to take gold, Ryun would win silver while Jipcho finished tenth.
Interestingly, you won’t see these sort of tactics employed by U.S. or British runners. Why? USA athletes are accustomed to serving their own interests, it’s an individual sport and they have coaches, sponsors and other commitments to meet. Kenya follows a model similar to team cycling, where one runner is promoted for the better good of the country. Expect to see more of the same throughout the 5000, 10000, steeplechase and marathon events in Rio.
About
At the 1968 Mexico Olympics, the Kenyan team successfully employed team a strategy to defeat the favorite and world record holder, Jim Ryun. Kip Keino was able to run to victory after teammate Ben Jipcho sacrificed himself by running at a breakneck pace to counter and weaken Ryun’s famous kick. Jipcho set an intense pace, eventually wilting Ryun’s ability to kick and win: while Keino ran on to take gold, Ryun would win silver while Jipcho finished tenth.
Interestingly, you won’t see these sort of tactics employed by U.S. or British runners. Why? USA athletes are accustomed to serving their own interests, it’s an individual sport and they have coaches, sponsors and other commitments to meet. Kenya follows a model similar to team cycling, where one runner is promoted for the better good of the country. Expect to see more of the same throughout the 5000, 10000, steeplechase and marathon events in Rio.
