The Women's 10K/5K History

The 10K wasn't even added into the WC or Olympics until 1988.

Again, the domination by the East African countries, especially Ethiopia & Kenya has been total.

I'll mention Ingrid Kristiansen, a Norwegian badass in the 80's who revolutionized the women's 5000/10,000 before moving up & getting steam-rolled in big races by the inimitable Joan Benoitin the inaugural women's Olympic Marathon (LA-1984). After this though, she utterly dominated the marathon between 1985-1989. Why is she not the GOAT? 4th in 1984; DNF in 1988.

After this the East Africans come in & start dominating, same as with the men.

Recent Results setting up 2024 Paris Olympics

10K/5K

2019 World Championships at Doha: VIDEO & SUMMARY

2020 Solo WR by Letesenbet Gidey at Valencia with the wavelights VIDEO

2021 Olympics in Tokyo VIDEO not the full race unfortunately & SUMMARY

2022 World Championships in Eugene VIDEO & SUMMARY

2023 World Championships in Budapest VIDEO & SUMMARY

The women's 5K/10K players over the past 5 years.
Sifan Hassan (1500m to Marathon) the world's greatest all around talent, hand's down.. But she loves to play. & simply wants to enjoy her career. If winning happens (& don't get it twisted...she wants to WIN) so be it. If not, she honors the Gift.

Letesenbet Gidey (WR - 10K/Half/fastest marathon debut ever) Perhaps the greatest overall potential. But she has a hard time holding off the kickers - except in Eugene.

Hellen Obiri (NYC Marathon wins '22 & '23; 5K World Champion '17 & '19; 5K Olympic silver in Tokyo; 10K World Championship silver '22)
Gudaf Tsegay (5K WR - 14:00.21/10K World Champ '23; 5K WC '22; 1500m silver WC '22)

Faith Kipyegon: The greatest miler of all time AGOAT (male or female...the A stands for Absolute) moved up to the 5K last year at the WC & won an epic battle with Sifan.

Americans:

Kara Goucher was our last great 10K woman. We have some solid potential here but we don't have our Grant Fisher yet.

Alicia Monson was stellar in the WC 10K battling to 5th but will struggle since the event is dominated by women who ha e equal or greater aerobic talent & sub 4 min 1500m wheels & gears on top of gears.

& Karrissa Schwitzer has been close but can't hold up under the final 800m pressure.
Elise Cranny could be in there but it seems she wants to move down to the 1500m/5K.

We have seen women lead the world in willingness to move freely between the roads & the track, led by my favorite runner - male or female - right now, Letensebet Gidey. The most representative race to cover in the 2022 Eugene WC 10K Race. Watch the final 800m (30:54)Until the rash of WR 5K performances this past summer, Gidey held the WR in the 50K, 10K, 15K road (where, in the final 10K, she ran the fastest time ever recorded by a woman at the time - 29:12) & the Half Marathon. SHe's run two marathons now Valencia - 2:16 where she was 2nd in her debut - fastest debut ever - & 2nd at this fall's NYC Marathon.

But Obiri is now the NYC/Boston x2 champ & looks to be the best strategic marathoner in the world. But what will happen in the 5K/10K this summer?

I am most excited for these two races in Paris.

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Where we start with X - & weak sauce social media takes, move into Michael's pre-race thoughts around IRONMAN Texas on April 27th (no pressure, dude!) & finish with privilege of celebrating the human experience of training & racing.
Hot takes on Death, predictive processing, & the recent Kara Goucher/Rich Roll episode.
We hope you dig this one.
Godspeed, my friends, godspeed.