2020 London Marathon (Bekele out)

[gh]

calf problem; story linked on home page

[proofs in the pudd'in]

Arrrrgh! Was looking forward to him and Kipchoge battling it out.

[ATK]

Welp. I feel this was probably the last opportunity for a potentially fast match up between Kipchoge and Bekele. I think the window of opportunity has closed.

[mungo man]

Even after the organizers went through the headache of flying he and Kipchoge into London via private jet and paying the pacesetter (Mo Farah) £300,000

[LuckySpikes]

What a bummer!

By the way, Mo Farah wasn't going to be pacing the lead group. Instead, he's pacing a British group trying to get the Olympic standard.

[GHM]

That is the problem with show casing marathon as a crown jewel of T&F. Most great athletes can run two good races a year and things can go wrong. Now you have to say what if. These two guys are old (athletic wise) and may never come to their best shapes again. I am crossing my finger for 2021? Tokyo.

[proofs in the pudd'in]

Who are the other top guys in this race?

[aaronk]

There's always some 11th hour drop-out from "classic" match-ups--either on the roads or on the track or field!
I won't even begin to list them---but examples can be found over the past several decades!1

Bottom line, however, is (for me, at least!)---Are these last minute "niggles" or "stomach aches" or "food poisoning" or whatever REALLY that----or is it the old child's excuse to stay home from school?/

Just saying---with absolutely NO disrespect to Bekele!!

[Conor Dary]

That is the problem with show casing marathon as a crown jewel of T&F. Most great athletes can run two good races a year and things can go wrong. Now you have to say what if. These two guys are old (athletic wise) and may never come to their best shapes again. I am crossing my finger for 2021? Tokyo.

Right should just ignore the one event the general public even barely pays attention to.

[bobguild76]

Arrrrgh! Was looking forward to him and Kipchoge battling it out.

Same here. How many more good races does Bekele have left in his legs? I certainly hope he has another one or more.

[LuckySpikes]

Who are the other top guys in this race?

Entry lists at https://www.virginmoneylondonmaratho...lds/index.html

[Fortius19]

Of course he is. I can't believe how close he was to holding WR for 5, 10 and Mar.

[proofs in the pudd'in]

Entry lists at https://www.virginmoneylondonmaratho...lds/index.html

Thanks!

Who wants to go for Geremew as the upset?

[gh]

NBC Gold's stream starts at 23:00 Saturday night.

[tandfman]

That's Pacific time--2:00 Sunday Eastern.