Triathlon Gold medalist runs 28:32 10,000m at the Payton Jordan Invitational Track Meet (Read 89 times)

Quote from Slowtwitch article:

"Reigning Olympic Triathlon gold medalist Alistair Brownlee ran 28:32.48 in the second section 10,000 meter heat at the Payton Jordan Invitational Track Meet at Stanford University Sunday night. 

Brownlee was second in the 25-person heat behind Jose Antonio Uribe Marin’s 28:30:80 time. The Englishman’s time would have placed him 17th against the premier competition in the first 10,000 meter heat won by Ben St. Lawrence of Australia in 27:37.55.

Unlike his dominant victories at ITU World Championship Series and World Triathlon Series events and the Olympics – where he ran 29:07 to nab gold and had time to high five some spectators -- Brownlee gave it his all and lay out flat on the track to recover after the finish.

While track commentators made jokes about the triathlete invading the runner’s lair, wondering if Brownlee would be “wearing a visor,” Brownlee ran a smart, negative split race which began with a conservative 4:34 first 1600 meters in the middle of 25 runners then made a gradual, inexorable surge to lead the heat at about the 19th of 25 laps. 

At the 3200 meter mark, Brownlee posted a 9:07 split, cruising along at 68 seconds per lap in 6th place.  He hit the 5k mark in 14:14 in 4th place before the lead pack of six slowed to a 71 seconds lap to regroup.

Brownlee finished the 16th lap in 18:20 in 2nd place. He hit the 20th lap in 19:26 in the lead, on pace for a 28:34 finish."

The interesting thing to me is he was only 35 seconds slower during his Olympic gold medal 10k after swimming 1.5k and cycling 43k. The 10k run course was a four lap. 2.5k loop with one 180 degree turn around.

Triathlon courses are notoriously inaccurate, and I believe that the rules stipulate that they only need to be within 5% of the distance or something like that.

Yes... see link

Well you'd think they would use the correct distance at the Olympics! How hard is it to move the 180 degree turn a couple meters this way or that?

 

You'd think, and perhaps it was correct. Maybe the guy was fitter then. But a 29 flat on the roads with 4 180 degree turns is a better mark than 28:32 on the track, not even including the fact that he swam and biked before racing that 10k. So, it seems like the likeliest conclusion is that the course was a bit short.

FWIW, this year's world XC championships was held on a loop that was at least 80m short...

Well you'd think they would use the correct distance at the Olympics! How hard is it to move the 180 degree turn a couple meters this way or that?

But then the split times for the run would be less impressive. Really there doesn't seem to be much reason for the Olympic organizers to make sure the 10k is 10k, since in the sport of triathlon it's not expected.