Ryan Gregson is the new Bekele

Ryan Gregson is the new Bekele

Edward Ovadia

Email: edwardovadia [at] gmail.com

Ryan Gregson is the new Bekele. It's official.

Why do I say this? It's his kick. A year or two ago Gregson didn't have that kind of amazing kick. But now at 200m to go, he flies. And I'm not just talking about a bit of speeding up; this is world class speed. Fast leg turn over, and a whole new gear or three. Watching him at the Australian University Games (where he won the 1500m in 3:41 and the 5000m in 14:11) I was struck by how much that sort of kick reminds me of Bekele, and the typical Ethiopian kick. By which I mean that while everyone will finish strongly, only a few can truly sprint as if they haven't just been racing for any number of laps.

Now I know people will argue with me. Some will say that this is a wild overstatement. Others will say that he's always had this kick. But I'm going to say that this is a new thing. And even if it's not, there's a big difference between running a 24 or 25 second last 200m off 14:40 pace, compared to off 14:00 or 14:10 pace.

This is important because last lap speed is what makes a good track runner. There are lots of people out there who are fit, and can time trial well. But more and more it's speed that determines the ability to win major championships. And at the risk of being controversial, it's this top finishing speed that many athletes lack, including some Aussies, which holds a number of great athletes back from winning major titles.

Luckily for Gregson this doesn't seem to be a problem. Once he matures and picks up pace and fitness over a few years, he will be a very tough runner to beat; because the beauty of high end speed is that it enables you to punch above your weight. If you're a time trial-style runner who runs 13:00 for 5000m, you'll struggle in a 13:30 championship race which speeds up furiously in the last few laps. But a 13:20 runner with a kick may well be competitive. And championship races are increasingly being won by kickers off relatively slow paces - gone are the days of world records in championship races.

So it will be very interesting to see how Gregson goes, as an athlete with great top end speed who is also capable of running fast times. This is not to say that there are not other athletes out there like this; and there are some great Aussies who fit this bill. Late last year Cam Page, as a 16 year old, ran 8:16 for 3000m; and last week Todd Wakefield, 17, clocked 3:49 and may well go better in a few weeks time at Commonwealth Youth. By the same token, competition amongst the open 5000m runners is heating up, with several people looking to make the jump to international level. So there is definitely promise coming through from all sides - but it's the combination of Gregson's age and the times he is running that makes him a special case.

Read a Runner's Tribe interview with Ryan 'Ryan Gregson: Australian Junior 3000m record holder'

Edward's website

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