Josphat Menjo: Mystery Man

If you had to make a tree falls in a forest track analogy, it probably wouldn't get any better than this:

If a man runs a solo 26:56 10,000 meters in an empty stadium in a race against nobody, does he make an imprint in a loaded weekend of track?

Weekend Brussels and Rieti Wrap: The Perfect Storm

This weekend, track and field had the perfect storm. Non-Championship year? Check. Athletes chasing records and paydays? Check. High quality meets with top-notch facilities and meet directors servicing the athletes' every desire? Check. Below are my semi-organized thoughts on the athletes and events that made it a memorable weekend.

Kings of the Weekend:

Rieti Blurbs and Predictions

Fear not, my friends. While the end of the Brussels Meet marks the end of the highly-successful inaugural season of the Diamond League, track fans will barely have to wait for high-level profession racing to being anew. The lightning-fast track has been a home to the most staggering World Record in the book (youtube Daniel Komen 3000 World Record and witness Steve Cram giggling in disbelief) and my personal favorite (go figure) Noah Ngeny's 1000m world record. This meet, fittingly, has world record talent that affords the meet the opportunity for two more to add to the facility's resume. That and more in the following blurbs.

Memorial Van Damme DL 1500 Cooldown Wrap

The subject of American 1500m running is unabashedly near and dear to my heart. Check out this column if you want see my thoughts from a few weeks ago on American medal prospects: http://viewfromlane9.blogspot.com/2010/08/generational-gap-american-1500m-running.html

Men's 1500m headliner: While the triumphant return of the best 1500 meter runner in the land, Asbel Kiprop, registered as no shock, a tantalizing stretch run by American Leonel Manzano to close off a one second personal best and obliterate the rest of the field was hardly anticipated. The diminutive American inexorably gained on the 2008 Olympic Champion Kiprop causing radical thoughts to crop into the minds of middle-distance fans everywhere. Could Manzano have done the unthinkable and beaten Kiprop had he kicked earlier?(I say no, read why at the bottom) Is Manzano a serious medal threat for years to come?(Yes, I believe, though I did so cautiously even before the race)

Belgacom Memorial Van Damme DL Blurbs and Predictions

Headliner- A Middle Distance Meet for the Ages: The last Diamond League meet takes place this Friday in Brussels and the table is set for the best middle distance racing of the year.

In the 800 meters, the men's side features newly anointed world record holder, David Rudisha, versus his #1 challenger Abubaber Kaki. Their last battle depicted to the left of this text yielded a phenomenal race with Rudisha emerging with a narrow victory stopping the clock in 1:42.0.

On the women's side, Russian Mariya Savinova will try to stamp herself as a serious challenger to controversial 2009 World Champion Caster Semenya, whose gender is now in more doubt than her form after a sub 2 clocking last week. Perennial contenders Janeth Jepkosgei and World Leader Alysia Johnson will try to redeem themselves after some disappointing recent results and end their Diamond League campaigns with a flourish.

Off Beat: The Most Interesting Man in the World

Here is a long overdue Off-Beat edition before a crowded weekend with Rieti, Brussels, and a Rudisha WR attempt about to emerge upon us

If you are like me, you adore Dos Equis' "The Most Interesting Man in the World" commercials, which feature Jai Alai, arm-wrestling with Fidel Castro, and the timeless quote "He can speak French.....in Russian". I've always kind of pondered who would be my own real-life Most Interesting Man in the World. Well, the answer for me is easy and not even close- it is poker legend Doyle Brunson.

Two questions are probably popping into your head immediately: 1. This is a track blog, correct? (yes it is) 2. Why did you choose Doyle Brunson? (short answer: basketball, poker, AND track!).

Column: It is Snow Argument- The Case for Cross in the Winter Olympics

In a story that was deemed gripping enough to make the headlines section by ESPN editors (doubtful Rudisha's WR run was given similar treatment for long if at all), the IAAF made waves, er snowdrifts, by requesting that the International Olympic Committee add cross country running to the Winter Olympics program. A worrisome obstacle is the Olympics' charter that states: "only those sports which are practiced on snow and ice are considered as winter sports". Still, I would not be surprised if this charter is malleable considering other known Olympics goals like worldwide participation and the IOC's less outward ones like increasing television ratings and revenues. Logistical issues aside, I absolutely love the idea of having cross country in the Olympiad as both a fan of the sport and a fan of the Olympics. Below are the top reasons that Cross Country running in the Winter Olympics is a perfect fit.