Is Canadian 800m Olympic silver medallist Marco Arop making a daring transfer up in race distance? On Sunday, the 26-year-old stunned followers by profitable the Rocket Metropolis Again Half Marathon in Huntsville, Ala., with a time of 1:11:15. With 110m of elevation achieve, the course was hillier than the everyday half-marathon race, making Arop’s efficiency much more spectacular.
Transitioning from the explosive 800m to the strategic 21.1 km is not any small feat. Arop, knowledgeable athlete for Adidas, executed a textbook half-marathon unfavorable break up–selecting up his tempo within the second half to clinch the victory. Adverse splits, whereas best in longer races, are much less beneficial in 800m occasion, the place going all out from the beginning is crucial for clocking quick occasions.
Curiously, of all 800m runners, Arop is likely to be essentially the most skilled in tactical unfavorable splits–usually compelled to hold again early in 800m races resulting from his tall stature and lengthy stride to keep away from tripping. Within the 800m Olympic ultimate, his splits of 51.1 and 50.1 seconds earned him the silver medal in 1:41.20–making him Canada’s first 800m Olympic medallist since 1964.
The Edmonton native’s willingness to up his distance is shocking; it’s not widespread to see 800m and 1,000m specialists racing 21 occasions their furthest occasion. The achievement confirms Arop’s vary as a runner–he’s already demonstrated his world-class means over the 2 middle-distance occasions, and holds the North American document in each.
In October, Arop grew to become the first Canadian athlete to signal with Grand Slam Monitor. Arop will race within the males’s quick distance (800m/1,500m) division, in opposition to 1,500m Olympic medallists Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr and Yared Nuguse.
In line with his world athletics profile, Arop’s longest official race earlier than Sunday was a mile. On the best way to his half-marathon win, his Strava profile reveals private bests at 15K, 10 mile, and 20K. Whereas his weekly mileage sits at about 47 km per week, many runs are possible unlogged–unsurprising for a world champion guarding his coaching secrets and techniques.