World Masters Athletics Championships Lyon : 5000m M50 Preview
The weather expected to hit 38 degrees, wind at 20kph from the south. Track is a boutique Pierre Duboeuf small number of lanes in shades of blue. It's elevated with little protection from the wind. The M50s have around 75 entered, slightly more than the cross country. Top 4 finishers from M50 cross country are entered. There are a number of fresh runners who skipped the race on Tuesday, especially some classy 1500m athletes.
The race will be run as three finals starting at: C final 8.30am, B final 9.15am and A final 10.00am. Roughly 20-25 in each final, there will be non-starters as always. In theory the fastest race is last. Those who didn't put seeding times may end up in an earlier final. Around 15 competitors have seed times 16:10 or quicker, the fastest being Anders with 15:20 (2nd in Tuesday's M50 XC). It could be an A final with 15 runners under 16 minutes and a winner sub-15, or it could be too hot and windy.
I would liken the A final to a race like the Victorian 5000m C Grade championships. The race shouldn't really split up until 2-3km. Like any quality track race it will be hard to maintain position in a bunch unless it is strung out. I can't imagine it being sit and kick with time deciding the medals and placings, not placings in the A final. It should be fast from the gun. If it is as hot and windy as predicted anyone sitting on the front for too long will be punished.
I would expect the A final to be raced in around 32 degrees temperature, full sun, lot of wind. I pity M45, M40 and M35 competitors who race later in the day.
I'm no chance of a medal in this race, I'll be hanging on as best I can, hopefully on the rails, not too far back, crossing the gaps when they open up.
The race will be run as three finals starting at: C final 8.30am, B final 9.15am and A final 10.00am. Roughly 20-25 in each final, there will be non-starters as always. In theory the fastest race is last. Those who didn't put seeding times may end up in an earlier final. Around 15 competitors have seed times 16:10 or quicker, the fastest being Anders with 15:20 (2nd in Tuesday's M50 XC). It could be an A final with 15 runners under 16 minutes and a winner sub-15, or it could be too hot and windy.
I would liken the A final to a race like the Victorian 5000m C Grade championships. The race shouldn't really split up until 2-3km. Like any quality track race it will be hard to maintain position in a bunch unless it is strung out. I can't imagine it being sit and kick with time deciding the medals and placings, not placings in the A final. It should be fast from the gun. If it is as hot and windy as predicted anyone sitting on the front for too long will be punished.
I would expect the A final to be raced in around 32 degrees temperature, full sun, lot of wind. I pity M45, M40 and M35 competitors who race later in the day.
I'm no chance of a medal in this race, I'll be hanging on as best I can, hopefully on the rails, not too far back, crossing the gaps when they open up.
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