FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LEGENDS
History of 10k running
by Bud Baldaro UKA National Coach for Endurance Running
10k a great distance to run – 6.25 miles on the road or 25 laps of the track.
Astonishing world best track records of 26m 17 sec by the great Ethiopian Kenesh Bekele. This is an amazing pace of 100 × 100 units of 15.7sec without recovery; almost incomprehensible to most of us mortals.
The African domination of the track event is to say the least impressively intimidating. There have been 55 sub 27 min clockings and all of these times are owned by African athletes.
The UK record is held by two time Olympic 4th placer Jon Brown at 27min 18sec but this is good enough only to place him 164 on the all time list !! Ironically Vancouver based Brown has now taken out Canadian citizenship.
London marathon race director, Dave Bedford enjoyed his share of glory 25 years ago when he shattered the world record with his cavalier front running tactics as he recorded a new world best of 27m 30 8sec.
Bedford was continuing a tradition established in the late nineteenth century of James Gibb, the brilliant Walter George and the renowned Alf Shrubb who dominated the scene for nearly 30 years from1877 – 1904.
The woman’s track record is owned by the Chinese lady Wang Junxia. Junxia is the only woman in history to have broken 30 mins for the 25 lapper. Mysteriously having scorched to this time she rapidly disappeared from the world scene prompting much curiosity as to why. Her time of 29min 31 sec is over half a minute quicker than the next fastest woman.
And second on the worlds track rankings is our own Paula Radcliffe, who failed by less than a mere 2 seconds to better 30mins when she stormed through the rain sodden track at Munich to take the European title in 2002 to win in 30m 01.09sec.
Second on the track but queen of the roads, Paula heads the world rankings over 10km on the road with a brilliant 30min 21 sec clocking. Inevitably Paula leads the British rankings. Also highly placed on the all time world rankings for the road event is Scottish running legend Liz McColgan.
Former World and Commonwealth track 10,000 champion, Liz still runs the GNR and London marathon heading up the leukaemia fund raising team, popularly known as the banana army because of their distinctive yellow running singlets.
The great Bristol athlete, school teacher Nick Rose, now also running a sports shop in Bristol heads the UK road rakings with a very swift 27 mins 34 sec. Rose who benefited from an American scholarship set his national best on the roads of New Orleans no less than 24 years ago and his time still stands – a real tribute to the quality of the Bristol Olympian’s record. Interestingly Rose’s track time was just 3 sec swifter than his road performance.
Fellow member of Bristol AC and part of their record breaking 12 stage relay team Steve Jones is 6th quickest with his 27m 59sec. The Welshman although a Commonwealth 10,000m bronze medallist is better know for his magnificent marathon exploits. Winner of Boston, Chicago and London Jones still heads the British marathon times with his 2.07 32.
Now Bristol will stage its own 10k road event and offer Bristolians the chance for a new challenge and new target. Additionally it will serve as a perfect Spring time preparation for the Reebok Bristol half marathon.
It will be fascinating to see just how many people crack the 1 hour barrier in its first year before launching their future plans to come “down the clock “.
And as with its nationally renowned half marathon Bristol will once again have the opportunity to be the best of British as the city welcomes the UK on Bank Holiday Monday 5 May 2008.
