The New York City marathon was just completed this week and it was quite a great race. One of the biggest pieces of action, at least for me, is Abdi Abdirahman running 2:11:34 placing 9thoverall at 42 years of age.
(Photo Left) Master Sgt. Lono Kollars, U.S. Air Force (Photo Right) Erik van Leeuwen, attribution: Erik van Leeuwen [CC BY-SA 2.0]
This time overtook Bernard Lagat's Masters record from July when he ran 2:12:10. Abdi just doesn’t seem to disappear. It seems like every time is he counted out he comes back and surprises everyone.
This includes making the Olympic marathon team in 2012 at the age of 35. His last three marathons weren’t great and then he responds with this effort.
Does this make him a threat to make the Olympic team for Tokyo? I think he is in the picture of contenders that can qualify for the Olympic team. I find it interesting that two individuals over the age of 40 have a chance to make the Olympic team for the United States.
I’ll take a bet, that at least one of them qualifies. The marathon is an unpredictable beast and I believe that there is an even outside chance that they could both qualify but I would bet against that.
Below is a list of there personal best times and a it gives a testament to the length of there careers!
| Event | PB Best | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1500 | 3:50.31 | 02 MAY 1998 |
| Mile | 4:06.93 | 27 APR 2002 |
| 3000 | 7:47.63 | 09 JUN 2001 |
| 5000 | 13:13.32 | 22 JUL 2005 |
| 10000 | 28:26 | 3 NOV 2001 |
| Half Marathon | 1:01:07 | 17 SEP 2006 |
| Marathon | 2:08:56 | 22 OCT 2006 |
| Event | PB Best | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1500 | 3:26.34 | 24 AUG 2001 |
| Mile | 3:47.28 | 29 JUN 2001 |
| 3000 | 7:29.00 | 29 AUG 2010 |
| 5000 | 12:53.60 | 22 JUL 2011 |
| 10000 | 27:49.35 | 01 MAY 2016 |
| Half Marathon | 1:02.00 | 14 JAN 2018 |
| Marathon | 2:12.10 | 07 JUL 2019 |
Who do you think has a better chance of qualifying? Both of these guys seem to defy the odds. They have careers that extend an incredible amount of time. In all honesty, I think Lagat has a better chance. We’ve seen him run 2:12.10 but he has a much shorter history at the Marathon and I can never count out a guy of his pedigree. However, Abdi has a lot more experience and that marathon and that can be valuable at the Olympic Trials.
with especially improvements in sports supplements/nutrition and such age is just a number, there is this martial arts guru in his 80's who has a body a lot of 20 somethings would envy.
I think both will qualify :)
It is possible! I would love to see these guys defy the odds. They will have pretty stuff competition for those spots and the marathon is a beast that can catch anybody on any day.