USATF 12K--Huddle WR 37:50 & Braun

[aaronk]

Whatta race!!
Shalane Flanagan took off from the gun, Molly Huddle half a step behind.
And that's the way it was through about 6.5 miles, when Huddle inched a half-step ahead.
But in the final mile, Huddle's tiny lead grew....and grew.
Once she got about 5 meters ahead, it was over, as she was kicking hard, as if in a track 5K!
At the end, Huddle had broken the WR for a women-only 12K, time of 37:50.
Flanagan finished just 8 seconds back, in 37:58, also under the old record!
(They'd passed 10K in a smoking 31:40!!)
Third was Laura Thweatt in 39:15, with Kim Conley in 4th in 39:29.

Aaron (sic!) Braun beat Shadrock Biwott in a storming (but just shy of a WR by 2 secs!!!) 34:27.
Matt Tegenkamp, one of the pre-race favorites, finished in 8th place!

GREAT race, and GREAT coverage by USATF.tv, with Carrie Tollefsen and Tim Hutchings doing the mile by mile call!

[aaronk]

Re: USATF 12K--Huddle WR 37:50 & Braun

BTW, it was announced at the start that another favorite, Emily Infeld, had withdrawn just prior to the start, citing a slight leg ache as her reason.
Don't know if even a totally healthy Infeld could have kept up with Huddle and Flanagan today.

And the way they ran it was track-style, shooting through the first 2 miles in 5:00 and 5:02, hitting 5K in 15:42l
The 2nd 5K slowed to 15:58, but there was a slight incline on part of that 2md 5K.
And Huddle finished with her final 2K in 6:10!!

Appears Huddle might be ready to take down Flanagan's AR 10K on the track in 2014!!

[Master Po]

Re: USATF 12K--Huddle WR 37:50 & Braun

Thanks for this race report, aaronk. I don't follow (non-marathon) road racing all that much, so didn't watch this one. Glad to read also that the coverage was good -- perhaps another small step in the direction of properly representing different aspects of the sport.

Quality performances by Huddle & Flanagan, to be sure. I have a question -- you reported this as a "women's-only" WR (or WB). In looking at stats for this distance, I'm looking at ARRS's all-time list (the only list I see at the moment, as Peter Larrson's site, and all-athletics.com, for instance, don't maintain a list for this distance):

http://www.arrs.net/AllTime/AL_R12K.htm

that the listed WB here is Lineth Chepkurui's 38:07 from Bay to Breakers in 2010. As Huddle herself noted in the post-race comments, this distance isn't contested all that much (e.g., most of the list-leading times on ARRS's list are from Bay to Breakers & Spokane -- that's Lilac Bloomsday, iirc), but in any case Huddle's time seems an outright WB at this distance ("women-only" or not) with Flanagan's #2. Are there other performances I've missed, or are you referencing another list?

Absent much other context at this not-often-contested distance, I'll compare a bit with 15k. Huddle's per/km average here (3:09.16) is about the same as Kastor's two best @ 15km (47:15 & 47:20). Nevertheless, this seems like it was a great race, and both Huddle & Flanagan put up high quality performances.

On the men's side, even though Teg stated that he was recovered & ready, I'm not surprised by his 8th. NYC was just two weeks ago, and that was his marathon debut, in which he ran well. Can't imagine how he could have been race-sharp today.

Also, you mentioned that Braun's 34:27 was "just shy" of the men's WR (or WB), but on this ARRS list, I see lots that are faster -- e.g., this 34:27 just makes the top 100. It would, however, seem to = #5 performance on the USA list:

http://www.arrs.net/AllTime/AL_R12K2.htm


Again, appreciate the report. Thanks.

[aaronk]

Re: USATF 12K--Huddle WR 37:50 & Braun

Thanks for the compliments, Master Po!

I believe I heard either Hutchings or Tollefson mention the WR aspect.
And I believe they said it BOTH ways.....that she'd run THE World Record....but also said it was a "women only" WR.
So not sure what the bottom line is!
Whatever the case, watching those two go at it.....dead serious all the way.....was worth being up at 4:15 a.m. (Pacific time) to watch it!!

Agree it's rarely run distance, but when you pass 10K in 31:40, then hit 6:10 for your last 2K....that's shaking it!!

[Bruce Kritzler]

Re: USATF 12K--Huddle WR 37:50 & Braun

Appears Huddle might be ready to take down Flanagan's AR 10K on the track in 2014!!

Apparently a very weak "world record".
As far as Huddle getting the AR 10k track record, she'll have to drop at least a minute off this 10k effort to hit 30:22.

[aaronk]

Re: USATF 12K--Huddle WR 37:50 & Braun

Appears Huddle might be ready to take down Flanagan's AR 10K on the track in 2014!!

Apparently a very weak "world record".
As far as Huddle getting the AR 10k track record, she'll have to drop at least a minute off this 10k effort to hit 30:22.

Yes, it's "weak" by comparison to other WR's.
But, as they say, a WR is a WR is a WR!!
No one has OFFICIALLY done better!!

That said, I have no doubt Tirunesh Dibaba or Meseret Defar could CRUSH that mark, possibly going sub-37:00!!

As for Huddle getting Flanagan's track 10K, let's not forget Huddle is a "HUGE" ( :lol: ) 0.04 ahead of Flanagan over 5K on the track.
And Huddle's been HOT of late.
So if she can get into 14:40 shape next summer, and get in a FAST race, I'd bet she could challenge Flanagan's mark.
She looked VERY strong today!!

[Master Po]

Re: USATF 12K--Huddle WR 37:50 & Braun

It is interesting, for a moment at least, to consider Huddle's prospects in relation to Flanagan's 10km AR. Here are their selected lifetime bests:

Huddle (31 Aug 1984)
4:08.09 (2013)
8:42.99 (2013)
14:44.76 (2010)
31:27.12 (2008)

Flanagan (8 July 1981)
4:05.86 (2007)
8:33.25i (2007)
8:35.34 (2007)
14:44.80 (2007)
30:22.22 (2008)

Some notes and observations:
Flanagan's 10km AR (and all of her top 10 performances at this distance) are 2008 or later -- post-PBs at all the noted shorter distances. Huddle's 10km PB is pre-PBs at her shorter distances, so I don't put much stock in it. Each hit her PB at 5k at about the same age. Otoh, Flanagan is faster at 1500 & 3k. On the 3rd hand, Flanagan ran her lifetime best at 10k in the season after her PBs at 1500 & 3k. Huddle ran her PBs (to date) during this past season. Maybe she is set up well for a fast 2014.

In short, none of this adds up to anything.

However, 2013 has been a good comeback season for Huddle, her best since 2010: PBs at 1500 & 3k, and now a very solid 12km road win to round out the season. Were I asked to predict if I think she can get Flanagan's 10k AR, I would say no. But, if she remains healthy and has a good 2014 (and beyond), I think she can run sub-31, and perhaps get in the mid-30 range (i.e., 30:40s, or maybe even 30:30s). Assuming for a moment good health and Huddle's talent, the big limitation for her chances for a great (for her) 10km is lack of opportunity. In any given season, not many chances to get in a fast one.

[tandfman]

Re: USATF 12K--Huddle WR 37:50 & Braun

a WR is a WR is a WR!!
No one has OFFICIALLY done better!!

A WR may be a WR, but this performance is not. There is no OFFICIAL World Record for 12km. That is not a distance recognized for records by the IAAF.

[Mighty Favog]

Re: USATF 12K--Huddle WR 37:50 & Braun

Mary Keitany's 12k split at the 2011 RAK half marathon was 37:04. The marker was later found to be 4m short, so the "best" women's 12k time ever is about 37:05.

[starboyunlimited]

Re: USATF 12K--Huddle WR 37:50 & Braun

Whatta race!!
Shalane Flanagan took off from the gun, Molly Huddle half a step behind.
And that's the way it was through about 6.5 miles, when Huddle inched a half-step ahead.
But in the final mile, Huddle's tiny lead grew....and grew.
Once she got about 5 meters ahead, it was over, as she was kicking hard, as if in a track 5K!
At the end, Huddle had broken the WR for a women-only 12K, time of 37:50.
Flanagan finished just 8 seconds back, in 37:58, also under the old record!
(They'd passed 10K in a smoking 31:40!!)
Third was Laura Thweatt in 39:15, with Kim Conley in 4th in 39:29.

Aaron (sic!) Braun beat Shadrock Biwott in a storming (but just shy of a WR by 2 secs!!!) 34:27.
Matt Tegenkamp, one of the pre-race favorites, finished in 8th place!

GREAT race, and GREAT coverage by USATF.tv, with Carrie Tollefsen and Tim Hutchings doing the mile by mile call!

Here is the last 4 min. of the race :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECbR_qM49ns

[TN1965]

Re: USATF 12K--Huddle WR 37:50 & Braun

On the men's side, even though Teg stated that he was recovered & ready, I'm not surprised by his 8th. NYC was just two weeks ago, and that was his marathon debut, in which he ran well. Can't imagine how he could have been race-sharp today.

His marathon debut was in Chicago, not in NYC. So he had a little more time to recover.

[Master Po]

Re: USATF 12K--Huddle WR 37:50 & Braun

On the men's side, even though Teg stated that he was recovered & ready, I'm not surprised by his 8th. NYC was just two weeks ago, and that was his marathon debut, in which he ran well. Can't imagine how he could have been race-sharp today.

His marathon debut was in Chicago, not in NYC. So he had a little more time to recover.

oops sorry about that blunder. ops: That's what the last few weeks of work have been like for me. Chicago Marathon weekend feels like it was 2 weeks ago, as for everything else in between, it's been kind of a blur.

[bambam]

Re: USATF 12K--Huddle WR 37:50 & Braun

This is a really nice review by aaronk and masterpo. Another reason to keep on this MessageBoard. Even though I mostly lurk on CurrentEvents, this is really good stuff.

[bobguild76]

Re: USATF 12K--Huddle WR 37:50 & Braun

This is a really nice review by aaronk and masterpo. Another reason to keep on this MessageBoard. Even though I mostly lurk on CurrentEvents, this is really good stuff.

I agree … wonderful commentary from both aaronk and MasterPo.