Fastest first lap?

[Guest]

Just been reading the good thresd about the quickest finishers, and an interesting thought occurred to me. Has there been anyone who has gone out ridiculously fast just to throw a cat amongst the pigeons. e.g a 46 opener for 800m or anything? would be interested to know.

[Guest]

Re: Fastest first lap?

I'm assuming that you are not counting rabbits??

[Guest]

Re: Fastest first lap?

Rabbits are barred from entering IAAF sanctioned events. A pity though isn't it.
Filbert Bayi was the master of stupidity he has opend a 1500m with a 23sec 200m, which ended up being a 50 first lap.
And once in a mile where his fibish time was 3.52.6 he opened with 52.5.

[CoachKoby]

Re: Fastest first lap?

What about Tom Byers? I know he was a rabbit most of the time but not always.

[tafnut]

Re: Fastest first lap?

"Rabbits are barred from entering IAAF sanctioned events."

Yeah right. I'm pretty sure the IAAF santions all the Grand Prix rabbited races.

[Guest]

Re: Fastest first lap?

I was making a sarcastic remark i.e small furry animals that live in burrows are not allowed in IAAF events.

[tandfman]

Re: Fastest first lap?

>"Rabbits are barred from entering IAAF
sanctioned events."
Yeah right. I'm pretty sure the IAAF santions all the Grand Prix rabbited races.<

I think he was referring to the four legged kind of rabbits. Note the screen name of the guy who posted that.

[Guest]

Re: Fastest first lap?

>Rabbits are barred from entering IAAF sanctioned
>events. A pity though isn't it.
Filbert Bayi was
>the master of stupidity he has opend a 1500m with
>a 23sec 200m, which ended up being a 50 first
>lap.
And once in a mile where his fibish time
>was 3.52.6 he opened with 52.5.

I remember that. Jipcho passed Bayi near the finish to run 3:52.0.

I remember the field going out in 48.3 - or close to it - in the 800 semis in '84. Cruz won the heat in 1:43.8 or so. Insane first 200 in 23 something.

[Guest]

Re: Fastest first lap?

Didn't El G go out in 52+ and 1:49.8 or something last season, coming by at 1200 in 2:44 +? That's a fast first lap for a 1500/mile, never mind how fast the first three laps were.

[Guest]

Re: Fastest first lap?

In his 1:41.24 WR at Zurich, Kipketer went thru the 400 in 48.3--it looked just as fast as it sounds. In his following record, 1:41.11 at Koln, the first lap was a slightly less crazed 49.3.

[Powell]

Re: Fastest first lap?

I believe 48.3 was the pacemaker's time, not Kipketer's. From what I remember, Wilson's splits in all his 1:41 races were pretty sensible - not inside 49 anyway.

[Guest]

Re: Fastest first lap?

"I believe 48.3 was the pacemaker's time, not Kipketer's. From what I remember, Wilson's splits in all his 1:41 races were pretty sensible - not inside 49 anyway."

Well, for whatever it's worth, I just looked this up in the IAAF WR Progression book, and they say that the pacemaker at Zurich (Tengelei)hit the 400 in 48.10 (I was there and didn't recall it as being quite THAT fast), with Kipketer's official 400 splits as 48.3 and 52.9. I would presume this source would be correct. I guess that if you can run 1:41, a 48+ first lap is at least somewhat "sensible."