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<\/a><\/p>\nThis is an event that always drives me NUTS. Track events are pretty simple \u2013 the fastest man\/woman wins. And in events up through the half mile, that\u2019s pretty much the way the events are run \u2013 the gun goes off and everyone takes off in an attempt to reach the finish line first. Except in the mile\/1500 meters, which often become \u201clet\u2019s see who can run slowest yet get to the line first\u201d events! <\/p>\n
I will never understand the \u201cwait and kick\u201d philosophy of milers \u2013 especially those that don\u2019t have a kick, yet wait anyway. But for whatever reason that is the game that get\u2019s played time and time again when it comes to championship \u201cracing\u201d. And it makes predicting what will happen at Nationals and\/or Worlds a difficult endeavor at best. <\/p>\n
But I\u2019m going to give it a try, mostly because there are so many middle distance runners that have emerged, and I have gotten fond of watching them compete. <\/p>\n
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Men\u2019s 1500<\/h4>\n
Just a few years ago (\u201808) all we really had in this event was Bernard Lagat. Since then we\u2019ve had several young men \u201cgrow up\u201d and become tough enough to compete in this event at the international level \u2013 Wheating, Manzano, Lamong among them. This year we\u2019ve seen major growth from Torrence and Centrowitz, and what has been a coming out party for Russell Brown. <\/p>\n
These are the men that I see running for the three spots to Daegu. I\u2019m not even sure how to call this race. Will they actually race, or will we see another wait and kick? My gut says another wait and kick though I would love to see them just go for it \u2013 because eventually that\u2019s what they will have to do against the Kenyans, Ethiopians and whomever else they happen to find in a semi or final (should they be be fortunate enough to make it). So I\u2019m going with \u201cgo for it\u201d results.<\/p>\n
Tactics aside, I see Wheating as the new \u201cMan\u201d in the middle distances. But he will have to prove it by leading our forces out of Nationals and onto the flight for Daegu. His big, tall, long striding frame should suit him well regardless of the tactics of the race \u2013 as should his experience at this level. Bottom line is that he\u2019s strong enough and fast enough to win this race. <\/p>\n
Spots two and three will be fought between the \u201crookie\u201d Brown, and the \u201cvets\u201d Manzano and Lamong. I think that the \u201cvets\u201d are about even here, but I\u2019m giving the edge (very slight) to Brown on the basis of his just having a hot season to this point coming in. He looked good indoors, he\u2019s looked good so far outdoors, and he\u2019s done so running against high level athletes. He comes in well prepared and it just seems like his year. Manzano & Lamong will be a matter of who has it best on the day \u2013 I feel they are that even. <\/p>\n
Centrowitz looked good at the NCAA\u2019s and Torrence in New York. They will be done in by depth in this race. But I expect that this is the beginning of an emergence for Centrowitz. <\/p>\n
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