Canadian Male Distance Runner of The Year?

[Chris Moulton]

A little poll to get things going, keep in mind Gary Reed, Tadilli, Sullivan, Brannen, etc I consider Mid-distance runners and will be in a future poll.

[davidson]

Hey Chris or anyone else out there,

Maybe you could give a rundown of what everyone has done this past year for those of us who are not as well informed.

Thanks

[coldneck]

Sean Kaley's name should be up there too.

[Studson]

Not sure what the criteria is for having the best year. But in terms of personal success and improvement the list should contain new comer Henok Lehebo, whom correct me if I'm wrong didn't lose a race that he finished the entire cross season. I am going to be so bold as to label Henok as a stud! And believe me I don't throw that term around lightly. So in conclusion I'm going to save my vote until I see Henok's name up there because I'd like to give him the recognition he deserves.

[Chris Moulton]

Unfortunately, there is a cap on the number of individuals allowed in the poll therefore, I choose the individuals I felt had the best year, Kaley was left off because although he won the national title he was well off his PBs, Lechebo was left off because I felt that Kurt's 3k National Juvenile Record was more impressive than anything Lechebo did this season.

[Delisle]

since kerr is winning this poll, can someone please resume what he has done this year...just out of curiosity because I am not totally familiar with his achievements...
thanks

[Chris Moulton]

Here is a brief recap of their performances

Matt Kerr no.1 in the country in the steeple 8:29 (3 second PB), no 2. in 5k 13:32 (only ran 2 competitive 5ks all season), qualified for World Track, 5th at National Cross, no 4. in 1500

Jeff Schiebler no 1. in the country 5k 13:28, no 1. in the country 10k 28:00, national champion in the 10k, no 1. in marathon 2:17

Reid Coolsaet 1, CIS 3k champ, silver medalist in the 5k at national, no 6. in the 5k 13:53 (17 second improvement on last year), silver medalist national cross

Paul Morrison no 7. in the 5k, bronze medalist 5k, top 15 NCAA cross

Simon Bairu canada's top finisher long course cross, no 3. in the 10k, top 10 NC cross, national champion national cross,

Eric Gillis canada's 2nd finisher long course cross, bronze medalist CIS 3k, CIS cross champion, bronze medalist national cross

Kurt Benninger top junior finisher world cross, no 1. in the country outdoor 3k 8:10 (18 second PB over last year), national juvenile record holder, Pan-am games (jr) silver medalist 1500, silver medalist national jr cross

Bruce Deacon silver medalist pan am games, no 3. in marathon

[coldneck]

Kerr:
-won three big steeple races, Harry Jerome 8:29, Maine Distance Festival and Nationals 8:30.
-Ranked #1 in Steeple (8:29) and #2 in 5000 (13:32) and #4 in 1500 (3:42) in 2003
-World Championships Qualifier in Steeple
-Ran a good lead off leg (10km) at North American Road Relays Champs to put Canada in lead (at that point)
-Has to put up with Cal Staples at practices

Shiebler:
-ran 13:28, 28:00 and 2:17 marathon in 2003, ALL THREE rank him FIRST.
-Won National 10km

Deacon:
-Qualified for Worlds but chose to run Pan-Ams where he placed SECOND

[GreekMystique]

Hey what do you guys think about this upcoming year? What type of times will people be running? Do you think Kerr can run sub 8:20?

[coldneck]

I'm gonna say that there will be a big improvement in the 1500 in Canada this year. With the Olympic Standard at 3:36:## there will a few guys shooting for it, even if Canada doesn't accept it.
Nate Brannen- is due to run a fast 1500, he just has to toe the line in a competitive 1500 (something he hasn't done in a while)
Hayden- will hopefully improve again
Greek Mystique- is a big Question mark but he is motovated and has the talent
Cantin- same as above
Sullivan- probably his last good shot at an Olympic medal in the 1500
Hood- same as above
McKenzie- Due to run a fast 1500 when he realizes that he can do it
Whitmarsh- realizes he has more potential in the 1500 and runs well in the 1500 while still posting impressive times in the 800, but slower than Reed and Tadili
Morrison, Kerr, Hutch and Corbitt- contribute to the depth of the 1500

[davidson]

Hey Reid,

when you say Morrison, do you mean Eric, or Paul???

[Thomas]

I agree Henok should be up there. Regardless if Kurt did have a studly 3k. When was the last time you saw an ofsaa field destroyed like that?? or a National field. Especially seeing how Henok was having large amounts of side pains for 3 weeks leading up to nationals and had his apendix removed the weekend after... That seems enough to get my vote.

[ahutch]

I'm going to agree with Coldneck here: big year in the 1500m. The lure of Olympic Trials usually gets some people to get it together (see Cantin, J.). I've just performed a highly scientific study of the number of people who ran 3:45 or faster in the past few years:
2003 - 8
2002 - 8
2001 - 10
2000 - 19
1999 - 15

Unfortunately, the AC website doesn't have rankings before that. I remember in 1996 (back in my day...) there must have been at least 20, if not more. So hopefully the Olympic Year effect will make us all run faster.

The question is, if Coldneck runs 3:35 (ie faster than IOC standard, slower than AC standard), will he entertain offers from Bahrain and Qatar?

[GreekMystique]

Man this is going to be such a sweet year!! From what I have been looking at we could see some crazy 10km times this year as well. Like usual we should see Kaley and Schiebler run fast. The question is if Bairu, Coldneck or others will step up. We could see 3-5 guys break 28:30.

On another completely unrelated area. Curious to see if all the top guys (or some that can make it to the midwest) would all join up for a fast mile or 3km this summer. If we were to organize it ahead of time it would be sweet to see some guys step up (or step down) and run a fast race. No need to send everyone around N. America looking for a fast time. We could get a rabbit to set sub 8:00 and sub 4:00 pace easily. Hamilton is always available (and usual is warm with no wind at night). Not only that but it be good to set up a fast (sub 4:05-10 pace) mile for the high school guys.

Good Luck to Everyone this year.

Predictions:

- There will be a sub 1:44.50
- Atleast one or maybe two new people set pb's below 3:40
- 5 guys below 13:35
- Atleast 3 sub 28:30 (could be 5)

[walt]

ahutch,
I left you a message on your tnfnorth message thing, just making sure you got it.

[Bubba]

1995 1500 rankings under 3:45

3:35.72 Kevin "not the Lawyer Kevin Sullivan" Sullivan

www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040119.wgree0119/BNStory/National/

3:35.95 Graham "I'm not really retired" Hood
3:41.39 Jason " Westdale" Bunston
3:41.80 Chris "7 feet tall" Weber
3:42.15 Allan "Milne's Babysitter" Klassen
3:42.75 Daryl "Pan Am's in Winnepeg" Fillion
3:42.90 Richard "I beat Weber and Klassen (see above) '89 CIAU Cross" Charette
3:43.22 Shane "circus midget" Bilodeau
3:43.27 Matt "I love Bon Jovi" Kerr
3:43.90 Kevin "I'm not the TOC coach" Christiani
3:44.77 Andrew "One hit wonder" MCGiugan
3:44.82 Scott "Basketball shorts" McDonald
3:44.83 Jeremy "nothing runs like a Jeremy" Deere
3:45.50 Mark "I didn't really make this list but I'm sure to reply to this post" Bomba

Count 'em Alex 13 but, I think they all ran in a foot of snow. And for what I recall the tracks were uphill, weren't they?

[SI]

ahutch said:

I'm going to agree with Coldneck here: big year in the 1500m. The lure of Olympic Trials usually gets some people to get it together (see Cantin, J.). I've just performed a highly scientific study of the number of people who ran 3:45 or faster in the past few years:
2003 - 8
2002 - 8
2001 - 10
2000 - 19
1999 - 15

Unfortunately, the AC website doesn't have rankings before that. I remember in 1996 (back in my day...) there must have been at least 20, if not more. So hopefully the Olympic Year effect will make us all run faster.

83-15
84-21
85-23

[Bomba]

......just for u Bubba.....

[ahutch]

Bubba, thanks for the trip down memory lane. Boy, those snow-covered uphill tracks were something else...

Actually, despite the "back in the day" crack, my point was that people tend to run faster in Olympic years. The numbers I listed showed that 2000 was the best year recently, and I was remembering that 1996 was another pretty good year. The fact that 1995 was crap is actually in agreement with my theory.

Of course, now that I think about it, I don't really know how many people ran fast in 1996 (it sure *seemed* fast at the time). I think I was seeded 12th or 13th going into the Trials with a 3:44.5, but that doesn't include people like Sully (injured), 5k and steeple types (did Schiebler run a 1500m that year?), and guys like Cantin who busted a massive pb of 3:42 in the final.

Incidentally, you might call McGuigan a "one-hit wonder", but for a guy who ran 3:39, I'd call that at least a three-run double off the wall, in extra innings. In the post-season.

[Bubba]

Maybe I was refering to his 3:39 as his one hit...probably not, uhhh I'm just an idiot.

Hutch, I agree with you on the Olympic year theory, it brings out a few more guys and people really go for it those years. Also when one guy starts running really fast (Sully in 2000) it raises the bar and others follow

1993

3:39.39 Allan "will RMAC beat my record?" Klassen
...8 guys...
3:44.13 Graham "I'll show 'em next year" Hood


1994

3:36.54 Graham "Pert Plus" Hood
....14 guys...
3:44.91 Willy "the last 700m were a bitch" Best