IAAF World Relay Championships

So if you haven't heard, the distance relays are cool again! At the 2014 world relay championships, which will be sponsored by the IAAF and held in Nassau in the Bahamas, will occur at the end of May, not quite ideal training spots for the world's top athletes. However, this is still an exciting new concept and event and, because this is the first time we have seen such an event, there is room for lots of speculation about what is to come!

Do I think all the world's top athletes will jump on board? No I honestly do not. But I have heard that Nick Symmonds, our best 800m man in the US, is interested and looking to go after the world record in the 4x8. So maybe other patriotic athletes world wide will be down to jump into the pit.

Let me give you an idea of what the schedule is going to look like for the distance relays. There are no prelims in the distance relays.
Day 1 (May 24th)
18:10 Men's 4x800m Final
19:28 Women's 4x1500m Final

Day 2 (May 25th)
18:39 Men's 4x1500m Final
19:00 Women's 4x800m Final

The world records in these events are as follows:
Men's 4x800m- 7:02.43, Kenya 2006 (US is #2 AT 7:02.82 in the same race)
Men's 4x1500m- 14:36.23, Kenya 2009 (US is #7 AT 14:46.3h 1979)
Women's 4x800m- 7:50.17 USSR 1984 (US ran AR at Penn Relays last year 8:04.31)

No Women's WR in the 4x1500m is listed on the IAAF Website, but in 2013 Michigan won the 4x1500m relay at Penn in 17:15.47, which was the fastest time of 2013 (this relay is not often run). I'd imagine the world record is down near 16 minutes if nations have taken legit shots at it.

So what can the US do at this meet?

Here are the 800m pieces we have at our disposal on the men's side with their 2013 best mark listed:
Nick Symmonds 1:43.03
Duane Soloman 1:43.27
Brandon Johnson 1:43.84
Tyler Mulder 1:44.34
Charles Jock 1:45.01
Elijah Greer 1:45.04
Joe Abbot 1:45.04
Michael Rutt 1:45.08
Erik Sowinski 1:45.21
Mark Wieczorek 1:45.36
Brian Gagnon 1:45.45
Cas Loxsom 1:45.75

Not included in this group are guys like Robby Andrews (1:44.71 PR) and Ryan Martin (1:44 man as well). Andrews suffered through groin problems a year ago but has proven he is a superb relay runner with multiple wins at the Penn Relays. Loxsom has a nice resume of relay legs at Penn at 800m and 400m. Jock's PR is under 1:45 and Symmonds and Soloman have bests under 1:43 from London. Sowinski is the American Record holder indoors for 600m and is a guy on the rise this year. And always lurking is Andrew Wheating, sitting back with a 1:44 PR and lots of nice relay accomplishments.

1:45.00 a man gives you 7:00.00 which is well under the world and american records.

In the 1500m we have the following guys (again 2013 bests):
Leo Manzano 3:33.14
David Torrence 3:33.23
Matt Centrowitz 3:33.58
Jordan MacNamara 3:34.00
Garrett Heath 3:34.12
Andrew Bayer 3:34.47
Lopez Lomong 3:34.55
Nick Symmonds 3:34.55
Cory Leslie 3:34.93
Will Leer 3:35.27
Craig Miller 3:35.48
Jack Bolas 3:35.54

If you move to the next few spots along the list you see names like Galen Rupp, Bernard Lagat and Evan Jager as well as Matt Elliot, Mac Fleet, Russell Brown and Andrew Wheating. We have a real lot of pieces here when you look at it.

Wheating has a PR of 3:30 from not that long ago. He has really been a funk as of late but he is a powerful untapped resource in both events. Galen Rupp was in 3:50 mile shape indoors last year so if he wants to be in sharp 1500m shape he can be in late May. Lagat is getting old and perhaps a bit past his 1500m prime, but he does have a 3:26 PR and the power of ageless wonder on his side ....

Lopez Lomong, Leo Manzano and Matt Centrowitz all have PRs at 3:32 or faster and Manzano and Centro both have silver medals to their name. These guys were the 4 to make the world champs team last year. Matt Elliot was the surprise fourth place finisher with a 3:36 PR and some good racing tactics.

Other guys like Miles Batty and Mac Fleet have had great runs at the NCAA level and just need to turn the corner to become elite at the professional level for the US. And of course Robby Andrews has a PR of 3:34 in an effort that almost bested Mo Farah and Galen Rupp in 2012.

So clearly there are pieces here. An average of 3:35.00 gives a total time of 14:20.00 which would be under the current world record in the 4x1500m by 16 seconds and under the American Record by over 26 seconds.

Given the runners the US has at their disposal it seems that the question is not, will the world records in these events be broken on the distance side, but rather how much will they be broken by?