General Comment ... I suspect the speed ratings for the top finishers at Foot Locker Nationals may be a bit higher than those shown in table above (that's typically the case) ... To finish in top places at Eastbay (Foot Locker) Nationals typically requires exceptional performances, usually season-best performances ... Eastbay (Foot Locker) is unique because it has a small field of select runners coming to the race expecting to run fast (knowing they have to run fast to place well) ... Top national competition on a fast course under good weather conditions yields top performances (often season-best performances) ... That did happen at the RunnigLane Champ race last weekend.
But the Eastbay course (Balboa Park) is different than the RunningLane course (John Hunt Running Park):
- John Hunt Park is much faster than Balboa Park ... as much as 50-60 seconds depending on conditions
- Speed ratings are determined by time differences between runners of known ability
- Balboa Park has a "Separation section" (the big uphill & downhill run twice ... especially the 2nd time)
- John Hunt Park has nothing comparable to the "Separation section" at Balboa which frequently separates the top runners
- Separation increases the time differences between runners which effects the speed ratings
Some Quick Notes about RunningLane:
- 77 runners were less than one minute behind winner Colin Sahlman (the fastest HS 5K XC time ever)
- 14 runners were 27 seconds or less behind winner Colin Sahlman
- Using the 9 California teams that raced at both CA States & RunningLane Gold (3 boys + 6 girls teams), the median time differences between Woodward Park and John Hunt Park was 27 seconds faster at John Hunt Park for the Team Scoring Averages
- Excluding the Newbury Park guys, 30 of the 51 California team runners "closed the gap" between themselves and Colin Sahlman at RunnigLane compared to Woodward Park ... Meaning the time difference between them and Colin Sahlman was less at RunningLane (counting all 51, an average of 3 seconds less).
- The Speed Ratings of the Newbury Park guys are not higher due to this "minimized separation" from many runners of known ability ... The same reason why the Jenna Hutchins fans hated me last year.
Five runners in this year's Eastbay field competed at RunningLane 2021 Last Week:
RunningLane RunningLane
Place Speed Rating
Zane Bergen 4 200.70 201 (season best)
Riley Hough 5 200.48 200 (season best)
Kole Mathison 9 196.23 196 (season best)
Shane Brosnan 13 195.45 195 (season best)
Michael Toppi 29 190.18 190 (2nd best to 191.05)
The Top Speed Ratings at RunningLane 2021 were:
RunningLane
Place Speed Rating
Colin Sahlman 1 Newbury Park (SS) 202.90 203 (season best)
Leo Young 2 Newbury Park (SS) 202.31 202 (season best)
Lex Young 3 Newbury Park (SS) 202.17 202 (season best)
Zane Bergen 4 Niwot 200.70 201 (season best)
Riley Hough 5 Hartland 200.48 200 (season best)
Aaron Sahlman 6 Newbury Park (SS) 199.21 199 (season best)
Aidan Cox 7 Coe Brown Academy 197.86 198 (season best)
Jackson Barna 8 Ridge HS 196.62 197 (2nd best to 196.67)
Kole Mathison 9 Carmel 196.23 196 (season best)
Isaac Teeples 10 Kamiakin 196.07 196 (season best)
Gary Martin 11 Archbishop Wood 195.95 196 (season best)
Tayson Echohawk 11 Orem 195.90 196 (season best)
Shane Brosnan 12 Union Catholic Reg 195.45 195 (season best)
Some Individual Runner Comments
Gavin Sherry ... Gavin Sherry, the Eastbay Northeast winner, is undefeated in 2021with many good seasonal performances ... He was the first runner to achieve a speed rating of 200 in 2021 ... He did not race at RunnigLane ... Finished 14th at Foot Locker 2019, so he has experience on the Balboa Park course.
Zane Bergen ... Zane Bergen finished 4th at RunningLane (200.70 speed rating) ... Zane Bergen & Riley Hough raced all-out at RunningLane last week, but I have no idea if those efforts will affect their races at Eastbay.
Riley Hough ... Riley Hough finished 5th at RunningLane (200.48 speed rating) ... He was undefeated entering the RunningLane race with many high speed ratings, and is one of the favorites of this race.
Marco Langon ... Marco Langon finished 2nd at Eastbay Northeast ... He has achieved speed ratings of 199 in his last two races ... He won the New Jersey Meet of Champions with an impressive time on the Holmdel Park course (15:06; course record is 14:53 by Edward Cheserek).
Tyrone Gorze ... Tyrone Gorze is the Eastbay West winner ... He is undefeated this season ... I suspect he can race faster, and may be a challenger to watch.
Kenan Pala ... Kenan Pala won the California State D5 race, won the Mt SAC Invitational Sweeps (196 speed rating) and was 2nd at Eastbay West.
Gitch Hayes
& Myles
Hogan
... These two New York guys have raced very well this season ... They
finished 3rd & 4th, respectively, at Eastbay Northeast ... My bias is
rooting for them (and all NY runners at Eastbay)
.
... 36 of the 40 Boys entered
Eastbay 2021 having at least one speed rating of 190 or higher this season
... and that makes the race competitive and interesting
.
)
... But many runners in the past have raced just as well (some better) at
Foot Locker after running NXN the week before.