2013 Oslo DL-Exxon Dream Mile: Souleiman 3.50,53y

[EPelle]

Contestants:

Life:	  2013:	 LND	 Name
_______________________________________________
		
3.50,68	3.55,24	KEN	MAGUT James Kiplagat
3.54,84	   --- 	 RSA	CRONJE Johan
3.51,44	3.51,44	KEN	CHEBOI Collins
0.00,00	0.00,00	ESP	BUSTOS David
3.50,42	3.50,42	KEN	BIRGEN Bethwell
3.52,24	3.57,08	AUS	GREGSON Ryan
  ---	     ---	 AUT	VOJTA Andreas
3.49,29	   ---	 TUR	ÖZBILEN Ilham Tanui
3.49,70	3.54,04	ETH	GEBREMEDHIN Mekonnen
3.54,28	3.55,50	NOR	INGEBRIGTSEN Henrik
3.54,51	3.54,51	ETH	WOLDE Dawit
3.50,21	3.50,40	DJI	SOULEIMAN Ayanleh
3.51,37	3.51,37	KEN	CHEPSEBA Nixon Kiplimo
3.54,37	   ---	 KEN	 RONO Geoffrey Kipkoech
0.00,00	   ---	 KEN	 ROTICH Andrew Kiptoo

[Alan Shank]

Re: 2013 Oslo DL-Exxon Dream Mile:

I believe the splits given on the DL website are inaccurate, as they appear to have been taken at the finish line, not the starting line. So, the entire 9.34 meters by which the Mile exceeds 1600 meters is included in that first split, 54.86. 400 / 409.34 * 54.86 = 53.61, so the first 400 meters were right about there. Then, the next lap (finish line to finish line) was run in 58.66, a dropoff of five seconds, and the next lap in 58.79. Nobody really had any kick for the last lap, and the early pace really worked against a sub-3:50, not in favor of it.

Collins Cheboi is doing a lot of racing: 4 indoor 1500s and 5 outdoor 1500/Mile races.
The winner, Ayanleh Souleiman of Djibouti, is just about to turn 21, with a PB of 3:30:31, a NR, from last year at Hengelo. He was 4th at Pre in 3:50.40, just .13 slower here.

A couple of "traditional" camera shots that I really wish they would lose are that "artsy-farsty" shot down the stretch where they show the athletes from the waist down, their shoes pounding the track, and the one where they show the bell being rung instead of the athletes passing the finish line with a lap to go.
Cheers,
Alan Shank
Woodland, CA, USA

[KDFINE]

Re: 2013 Oslo DL-Exxon Dream Mile:

I'll second what Alan Shank has to say about camera angles.

[EPelle]

Re: 2013 Oslo DL-Exxon Dream Mile: Souleiman 3.50,53y

Three different Dream Miles have had six runners finish the race faster than did tonight's winner, with those distinctions being Steve Cram's 3.50,38y in back in 1981; Hauke Fuhlbrügge's 3.50,52y in 1991; and finally Tarek Boukensa's 3.49,95y in 2005.

For Oslo depth perception: Souleiman's 3.50,53y is =82 Oslo.

More sub-3.50y have been recorded at Oslo—58—than there have been guys who've crossed the line at 3.50y (51 total). Ayanleh Souleiman's three lifetime miles have been contested at either Oslo (1) or Eugene (2). He's hit between 3.50,21y and 3.50,53y during each of those races, winning tonight, and finishing third and fourth in Eugene, respectively.


Stats compiled from a data pull from Peter Larsson's cumulative mile list at All-time athletics.