During the first three hours of the race I was busy making a phone connection to the server to publish my reports. Waiting for the telecom shop at Evreux to be open. The first hours are never important in a 24 hour championship; at least it does not say anything about a possible winner at the end. Every regular runner is able to lead the field for the first hours. Leading the field in the first hours only explains why somebody did not win the race. On the other hand some competition at the beginning of the race is interesting, also for the participants. By starting with a high pace you could exclude others for the final victory; i.e. the mental pressure of other possible winners is lowered. However it is not the other participant who reacts to the fast opening speed, but the silent runner that seems to be invisible in the first half of the race.
During my visit to the centre of Evreux, which is 2.5 km from the running loop, I wrote a letter to what I will call my “flower” in the Netherlands. I tried to explain why some runners are more fascination to me than others. In short, I believe that an equal speed race is the only key to get the best out of a runner. The question still is, when will athletes become able to run 24 hours in the way I think it should. Or is it just a dream; are only very few numbers of athletes able to attack the 24 hour also on a mental level in the way it should be and will we always see a battle between good runners with less mental ability against those who are mental strong with some less running ability. Waiting for those who have both, they will become the champion!
In the fourth hour the men have even increased there speed, while the women start to correct speed to a more realistic level.
We will not give another list of runners in the lead, but will make a first intermediate team result, giving the final team distance based on average speed after 4 hours.
{fixed}
men women
FRA 933.600 RUS 847.200
SVK 907.440 FRA 816.960
ITA 901.920 GER 732.960
RUS 893.280
BEL 841.920
GER 832.320
{efixed}
Anton Smeets
ton.smeets@ou.nl