¶2019 wWC Mar: Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya) 2:32:43

[gh]

T&FN formchart

1. Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (Israel)
2. Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya)
3. Roza Dereje (Ethiopia)
4. Ruti Aga (Ethiopia)
5. Edna Kiplagat (Kenya)
6. Shure Demise (Ethiopia)
7. Visiline Jepkesho (Kenya)
8. Helalia Johanes (Namibia )
9. Mizuki Tanimoto (Japan)
10. Sara Dossena (Italy)

[olorin]

First gold medal for Israel (Averbukh won Silver and Bronze)

[olorin]

The Cinderella story of Lonah Chemtai Salpeter
As the name suggests LCS is a Kenyan-born athlete who represents Israel. However, her story is much different to that of other athletes’ who migrate from Africa to a Western country.
LCS didn’t migrate from Kenya to Israel because she thought it will be easier to represent Israel (which is obviously true) nor because of love (which she did actually find) but because of family reasons. Like many other Kenyans from the Rift Valley area, she was offered to join a track and field club. However, her father thought it was a bad idea and LCS decided to become a teacher instead.

The stars realigned for her soon after. Her uncle was appointed to be the Kenyan Consul in Israel. At the time, her aunt was studying in Australia, so her uncle asked her to help him with raising their kids. She spent the first two years in Israel being busy with her work and hardly left her uncle’s house. Then, the stars realigned again for LCS and her aunt returned from Australia. With less duties in the house she began running in the park. It was there that she caught the eyes of an Israeli long-distance coach who asked her to join one of Israel’s running groups (that are flourishing since the migration of Ethiopian Jews). She soon started winning races, but this was more to do with the poor level of athletics in Israel rather than exceptional performances by her.

Dan Salpeter was an officer in one of the Israeli army elite units. After he left the army, he decided to pursue his dream to become a long-distance runner without notable success. The important thing was that now a chance meeting with Lonah Chemtai became more likely and like every bad Hollywood movie the two met, started to train together and then fell in love. They got married in 2014 and soon their first child was born. Afterwards Dan gave up his own running career and became the full-time coach of his wife.

This partnership proved to be a winning combination. In 2016 she qualified for Rio but had to retire with a shoulder injury. Since then LCS is improving continuously. Today, she is the holder of all Israeli records from 2000m to Marathon, and more importantly her times now are competitive in the international scene. In the Marathon her time is third among all participant in Doha (2:19.45) and in the half marathon (1:06.09) she is already the second best European of all time. Additionally, she won the 10,000 in the last European championship. But what should really worry her competitors is that (almost) every time she competes, she breaks her PB. In a recent interview they say that she will continue until 2024 Olympics. I am not a betting man, but I would bet that (assuming no injuries etc) over the course of two Olympic games and three WCHs she will win at least one gold medal.

One final note, the story of Dan and Lonah caught the attention of the media in Israel. In the interviews that they hold they seem like genuine people that answer many questions that usually athletes do not answer (like their personal relationship, money problems including earnings, criticism of T&F administration and so on). Really hope she will do well and not only because she represents my country.

[26mi235]

I doubt anyone PBs (except for those without a prior marathon)

[Trickstat]

I doubt anyone PBs (except for those without a prior marathon)

Interesting race for a debut!

[Trickstat]

My father made his marathon debut in 90F heat. He improved 30 minutes next time out.

[gh]

IAAF has confirmed that the race is a go (details on home page)

[Conor Dary]

Rather nuts....does it matter who wins under these conditions...I've run in the evening years ago when it was 70 dew point and after a few miles I felt wasted...and sat outside when the dew point was 73 and it was extremely uncomfortable....I can't imagine what 81 will feel like....

Coe and company's attitude seems to be we are going to this no matter what...The Qataris paid big for a full meet and they are going to get it.....

[Conor Dary]

Also the measurement they use is the wet bulb temperature....a term no one uses anymore....and hardly meaningful....

"Outside the weather profession, the wet bulb temperature is all but unknown. It is a moisture indicator and a measurement of the lowest temperature that can be reached by evaporating water into the air. "

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...177-story.html

[gh]

I guess it doesn't matter what they call it so long as they have established a "safe" threshold and hold do it.

[HopStepJump]

Fingers crossed that this doesn't end up being a train wreck

[Conor Dary]

Who is establishing it....they seem to be ignoring all the pertinent data and list a wet bulb temperature of 86...only because it gives them a low number...and cover themselves after this disaster......it's not at all meaningful. Meanwhile Dew point and heat index are very meaningful...

'Heat is considered dangerous when the temperature/humidity combination produces a heat index of 105 degrees or higher. '

https://wgntv.com/2019/07/15/dangero...rs-on-the-way/

[Conor Dary]

[LopenUupunut]

Wet bulb temperatures have been in news a fair bit lately, usually in contexts like "a wet bulb temperature of 35 degrees is lethal to otherwise healthy people within hours".

What IAAF uses is the wet bulb globe temperature, which is a related but not identical measurement.

[booond]

I assume slow times and maybe unusual medalists but I could be way wrong.