Multiple rabbits?

[trackhead]

TnF Land,

Is there anything illegal about a world record attempt where you have a rabbit that sets the pace for the beginning/first half of the race adn then a second pace maker that was just jogging around that jumps in in the last third or quarter of the race to keep the pace up?

For example, in Geb's 5k WR, Mezghabu dropped off with 6 laps to go. Would it have been legal to have say Mrtin Keino just joggin around in lane 8 ready to take over and lead Haile for another 2k, and let him take over for the last 400m? They could do the same if they jog from the gun, and time themselves to get lapped by Haile with 2k to go and pace him from that point on?

[Guest]

Re: Multiple rabbits?

Boooooooo

[Guest]

Re: Multiple rabbits?

remember Barcelona 10,000?

[trackhead]

Re: Multiple rabbits?

That was a championship race -- rabbits are not part of the event (excepting Ben J. in 68)

Besides, Skah was waving him off and was trying to be paced.

[Guest]

Re: Multiple rabbits?

IAAF Handbook
Rule 144 (Assistance to Athletes)
".... not allowed
(i) pacing by persons not participating in the race, by runners or walkers lapped or about to be lapped or by any kind of technical device."

This rule specifically outlawing lapped pacemakers was introduced in the 1980's.

For everyone believing that carefully orchestrated pacing is a modern phenomenon created by the commercialisation of our sport it is worth remembering what happened exactly half a cenntury ago in the good old days of pure amateur sport:

That year Roger Bannister in a (failed) world record attempt used one pacemaker for lap 1, another for laps 2 & 3 while the first pacemaker jogged one lap to just before getting lapped take over to provide pacing for Bannister also on the final lap!

The next year Bannister used the very same two pacemakers in a slightly less artificial way (pacemaker A for laps 1 & 2, pacemaker B for lap 3 and then "all by himself" on lap 4) to achieve the first sub-4-minut mile.

[stevehj197]

Re: Multiple rabbits?

and, as a trivia question, those 2 rabbits were..... ( both outstanding runners in their own right, and one of them did something Bannister never did)

[Guest]

Re: Multiple rabbits?

Chataway and Brasher?

[stevehj197]

Re: Multiple rabbits?

>Chataway and Brasher?

correct !