Still Running (weakly). Issue 53

PAST – inspiration – “I will win the Olympics from the front and grind the other runners into the track.” So said Dave Bedford of Great Britian in 1972. Olympic year of course always brings its share of anticipation, excitement and, yes, outlandish claims.

My first real Olympic memories are from that year. Women were still limited to events up to 1,500 metres, but the men’s 5,000 and 10,000 had never been more loaded with talent. How would Juha Vaatainen of Finalnd, the seemingly unbeatable double European champion from 1971, fare? What about his compatriot, Lasse Viren, who had set a world two-mile record just before the games? Then there was Bedford, plus Ian Stewart the Commonwealth 5,000 Champion from 1970, Mohammed Gammoudi of Tunisia the defending 5,000 champion, Emiel Puttemans of Belgium, world record holder for 3,000 metres and formerly 2 miles, the charismatic American Steve Prefontaine, together with supremely talented but less proven Ben Jipcho of Kenya.

Both races were stacked with talent, and the mouth-watering only intensified when Puttemans and Bedford broke the Olympic 10,000 record in the heat!

In the end, Viren won the 10,000 in a world record time, despite having fallen mid-race, and then came back to triumph in the 5,000, running the last mile in close to 4 minutes.

PRESENT – perspiration – In 2024, the first clues about possible Olympic success year have come in Diamond League meetings around the world.

With Keely Hodgkinson and Josh Kerr showing dominant form in Eugene in the 800 and mile races respectively (Kerr breaking Steve Cram’s 39-year-old British record into the bargain) there is reason to be excited about our middle-distance prospects.

But my attention was particularly drawn to Hagos Gebrhiwet of Ethiopia in the Oslo Diamond League on 30th May, where he ran the second fastest 5,000 metres ever with 12:36.73. Only Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda has gone quicker with 12:35.36.

But two factors made Gebrhiwet’s run extra special. One was the fact that his last two laps of 59.62 and 54.99 seconds were the fastest ever for a race this fast, showing that the Ethiopian has the pace to cope with the torrid closing stages of a major championships.

The other is that he is now 30 years old. (Indeed, I remember watching from the stands as he came 11th behind Mo Farah in the London Olympics 5,000 of 2012.) Perhaps this is his last chance for Olympic gold – he was third in Rio 2016 – and it looks like he has put in the extra pace work to be in with a chance of finally seizing that opportunity this year.

FUTURE – suggestion – With the warmer weather comes increased opportunities to race. Parkruns on Saturday and mainstream races on Sundays are joined by evening races midweek.

Romping, as we runners love to do, through this tempting smorgasbord of aerobic challenges, it is vital to bear recovery in mind if one is not to break down from injury or just sheer burn-out. Jog or rest for a day of two after each serious effort; make sure you rehydrate and renourish as soon as you can; don’t neglect stretching; and if you feel that, mmmm, last night’s off-road 5-miler took more out of me than it should have, maybe contemplate a week off!