It's been reported that Haile Gebrselassie ran a very fast half marathon by starting at the halfway point of the Rock and Roll Arizona Marathon, and running to the finish.
Food for thought:
The USATF course certification map for the marathon (AZ03016GAN) may be found at:
http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=AZ03016GAN
The 20 km point can be located from this map.
The half marathon is located 1.1 km south of this point.
Fiddling with online maps produced:
Half Marathon elevation = 1198 feet
Finish elevation = 1150 feet
Drop = 48 feet = 14.6 meters = 0.7 meters per kilometer of course length.
Map scaling reveals a separation of 8.3 km or 39 percent of course length.
Drop is OK by US, IAAF and ARRS standards. It’s less than 1 m/km
Separation meets IAAF standard (50 percent or less)
Separation does not meet US or ARRS standard (30 percent or less)
The half marathon was certified as AZ04001GAN. A search for this map was unsuccessful, as it has been replaced by AZ05017GAN, and the map is not yet on file. It is listed, however as having a drop of -0.67 m/km (slightly uphill) and separation of 70.4 percent.
The timing and the conduct of the race has yet to be determined. Did Gebrselassie run in a bona fide race or a staged time trial?
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