How To Become A Track Fan: The 10,000m

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In this episode Steve takes a deep dive into the 10,000m track event in our series on trying to make Michael into a track & field fan in anticipation of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. For the notes Steve created to help introduce Michael to the event, please see below.
Please note that we while we didn't go into the women's 10K nearly enough, we'll continue to bring out the important storylines over the coming months to ensure Michael has as much intel on the women's events as the men's.

The 10,000m Episode Notes

• Relevance. It's more likely that you have experience running/racing the 10K than the 800m. Also, you understand the energy needs for this event more than the 800m.
• The TEN. One of the biggest 10Ks of the year was run this weekend. Sound Running put on the their yearly 10K on So Cal in perfect conditions where athletes were trying to get their Olympic standards. This provides an excellent opportunity for you to watch the race before we talk & have it top of mind.
  Here is a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdnO--7pbP4
  You won't know many/any? of the names before watching this video & I won't be surprised if you want to fast forward to the final 5 min or so. If you do fast forward, I recommend you jump to 17 min (18:17 on the video). One argument for listening all the way through is you can get a chance to be exposed some of the lingo & energy.
• How To Qualify for the Olympics. This will give us a chance to go over the rather confusing & complicated process for getting on the starting line of the 10K in Paris.
• Another important 10K happened over the weekend in Spain where two of the favorites for the 10K gold medal ran on the roads. You can see that HERE of you are interested.

Main Discussion Points

• We want to talk distance. How the event feels when racing.
• We want to talk surface. Track (25 laps of the 400m track) vs Cross Country vs Road.
• I want to talk about technology & how wavelight & new "super" spike/shoe tech has revolutionized the distance. Also, here is an interesting review of the top 6 models as of summer 2023.
• I want to talk a quick overview of the history of the event: Flying Finns, Emil Zatopek & then the African Dominance of the past 30 years. See below for a bit more on that.
• Set Up for the Olympic 10K final.
• Is the 10K redundant?

Quick History
The Men

• The Flying Finns: Paavo Nurmi & the dominance of Finland in the first
• Emil Zatopek, of Czechoslovakia
• East/North African Dominance

At the World Championships, between 1991-2023, out of 51 potential medals, 47 were won by East or North Africans. The other four were won by Mo Farah of Great Britain, who was born & raised in Somalia, in East Africa. .

At the Olympics, between 1988-2020, out of 21 potential medals East/North Africans won 17 of 21. 2 of these were Mo Farah. The other two were an Italian in 1988 (EPO era) & Galen Rupp in 2012.

There have been a few eras in the 10K since the 70's.

• The Lasse Viren era (Prefontaine & Frank Shorter competed in this era).
• The Haile Gebraselassie/Paul Tergat era.
• The Kenenisa Bekele era.
• The Mo Farah era.
• & the Joshua Cheptegai era we are in currently.

The Women

Women did not begin competing in the 10K until the late 80's at the World Championships (1987) & 1988 Olympics.

Similar story to the men in the dominance of East/North Africans in the event.

Recent Results & Race Videos setting up 2024 Paris Olympics

2019 World Championships at Doha: VIDEO & SUMMARY

2020 Solo WR by Joshua Cheptegai at Valencia with the wavelights VIDEO & SUMMARY

2021 Olympics in Tokyo VIDEO & SUMMARY

2022 World Championships in Eugene VIDEO OF FINAL 1K & SUMMARY

2023 World Championships in Budapest SHORTER VIDEO & SUMMARY

The TEN (VIDEO) was raced this weekend & 8 runners got the Olympic Standard.

& that's just the men.