British Athletics Indoor Grand Prix 2013 - IAAF Indoor Meeting Birmingham

Birmingham Preview: Homecoming for Mo and Mid-D Action

Feb 15, 2013 by Mitch Kastoff

Birmingham is back and it has its homecoming king. Mo Farah makes his triumphant return to action and what better place than in front of the home crowd in the good ol’ United Kingdom.

But the king is not without his princes and princesses. Even without the 5000m and Galen Rupp, the IAAF Indoor Meeting is still packed full of middle-distance stars with some sprint action sprinkled on top.

So wake up (not that early), sign in, watch some action from across the pond, and don’t forget to enter the #FloEnglish t-shirt giveaway.

Note: All personal bests are from IAAF.org.

3000m - Men

Name	Personal Best (indoors)
David Bishop (GBR)	3:43.86 (Bloomington, 2012)
Florian Carvalho (FRA)	7:48.62 (Lievin, 2012)
Stephen Davies (GBR)	3:41.25 (Cardiff, 2009)
Lee Emanuel (GBR)	7:52.42 (Bloomington, 2013)
Mo Farah (GBR)	7:34.47 (Birmingham, 2009)
Tom Humphries (GBR)	8:02.11 (Linz, 2013)
Philip Hurst (GBR)	8:01.45 (Sheffield, 2012)
Jonathan Mellor (GBR)	7:58.36 (Sheffield, 2012)
Andrew Poore (USA)	7:53.81 (Bloomington, 2011)
Steven Scullion (IRL)	N/A
James Wilkinson (GBR)	N/A
Durand Yohann (FRA)	7:50.22 (2010)

For Farah, Birmingham has been two sides of a well-traveled British one pound coin. While one side may have the Queen, it’s dusty and weathered. On the reverse is the Royal Shield, shining bright and proud.

That’s what Birmingham has been for Mo in his last two visits. One year ago at this very meet, Farah ran for Queen and country and broke the British indoor 3000m record of 7:34.47 en route during the men's two miles.

Question: Why is it so weird to see an imperial distance run in the UK while metric distances are common in the United States?

However, Farah had to settle for second behind Eliud Kipchoge with his 8:08.07 European record. To say the least, the British press a bit worried about its chances at a medal that summer in London.

The next time he returned to the city, he was a new man. No was no longer Mo, the man who could be beat, but the double Olympic champion. Doubt and speculation were replaced with elation and warm welcomes.

The outdoor Birmingham track was a stage for Farah and he put on a darn fine show. The sort of parade was fitting for a man who, over the last year, had to endure an incredible amount of national scrutiny. In the final stages of the race, Farah effortlessly kicked away with the victory to the delight of his home fans. 8:27.25 wasn’t quite Steve Ovett’s record of 8:13.51, but it was good enough for the win.

That brings us to Saturday. After a small break following the Olympics, Farah returns from training in Kenya to run his only indoor race of the season. Judging by the field, this’ll be like his most recent visit to Birmingham as an assault on the European record that he just narrowly missed last year won’t be in the books (it’s 7:32.41 by Segio Sanchez).

This race will most likely be part of the first step in Farah’s buildup to defend his 5000m World Championship title and possibly upgrade his 10000m WC silver medal to gold.

The ability to complete the requisite double is truly reserved for the greats. Oddly enough, we don’t have to look too far in the past to find someone who was able to win double gold at the 5k / 10k at both the World Championships and ensuing Olympic Games. The former king of distance running, Kenenisa Bekele, was able to find four straight golds between 2008 and 2009.

The king isn’t dead, but his crown has been passed on. If Farah can replicate the double, then he, like Bekele, will be enshrined among the legends.

1500m - Men

Name	Personal Best (indoors)
Birgen Bethwell (KEN)	3:34.65 (Karlsuhe, 2012)
Teshome Dirisa (ETH)	3:37.64 (Karlsuhe, 2013)
Mekonnen Gebremehdin (ETH)	3:34.89 (Birmingham 2012)
Charlie Grice (GBR)	3:44.37 (Ghent, 2013)
Abdelaati Iguider (MAR)	3:34.10 (Lievin, 2012)
Nicholas Kipkoech (KEN)	3:44.07 (Bellinzona, 2011; outdoors)
Marcin Lewandowski (POL)	3:37.76 (Lievin, 2012)
Matthew Mclaughlin (GBR)	3:42.87 (Athlone, 2013)
Bouabadallah Tahri (FRA)	3:36.34 (Stuttgart, 2002); 8:01.19 3000st (Berlin, 2009)
Andreas Vojta (AUT)	3:38.99 (Wien, 2012)
Chris Warburton (GBR)	3:41.13 (Birmingham, 2009)

While the 3000m may be Mo’s Homecoming, the men’s 1500m is no easy feat as the start list contains a full cast of characters.

Leading the charge is the the reigning World 1500m Indoor champion and Olympic 1500m bronze medalist, Abdalaati Iguider. At the Olympic Games, Iguider basically made us eat our own hat. The 1500m / 5000m double looked impossible, but not for Iguider. The Moroccan managed to snag third in the metric mile and then come back not too long after to finish sixth in the 5000m.

He has the speed, endurance, and tactics to ensure an indoor win, but it won’t come easy.

If we’re basing race predictions off most recent events, then Kenya’s Bethwell Birgen should be up for mention. Two weeks ago at Moskva, Birgen clocked the second-fastest time in the world (behind Galen Rupp en route in Boston) in the men’s 1500m with a 3:35.25 victory.

Birgen is no stranger to the indoor 1500m. So far this indoor season, he's run 3:36.61 in Dusseldorf and 3:38.37 in Glasgow. Is he primed to improve on his 3:34.65 personal best from last year? If his progression continues, then perhaps.

The field also includes Poland’s 2010 European 800m champion Marcin Lewandowski, the reigning World Indoor 1500m bronze medalist Mekonnen Gebremedhin, Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkoech, and France’s Bouabadallah Tahri.

1500m - Women

Name	Personal Best (indoors)
Tizita Bogale (ETH)	4:06.01 (Lievin, 2012)
Rosie Clarke (GBR)	4:17.09 (Sheffield, 2013)
Melissa Courtney (GBR)	4:17.57 (Sheffield, 2013)
Genzebe Dibaba (ETH)	4:00.13 (Karlsruhe, 2012)
Hannah England (GBR)	4:07.13 (Stockholm, 2011)
Siham Hilali (MAR)	4:04.53 (Lievin, 2012)
Elena Mirela Lavric (ROU)	52.11 / 1:59.74 outdoor
Treniere Moser (USA)	4:08.13 (Boston, 2006)
Cally Read (GBR)	4:32.41
Diana Sujew (GER)	4:07.72 (Potsdam, 2012)
Elina Sujew (GER)	4:07.99 (Potsdam, 2012)
Claire Tarplee (IRL)	4:14.58 (Wien, 2013)

The women’s 1500m is not without the reigning world indoor 1500m champion as well. Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba is the toast of the field after producing the world-leading time of 4:02.25 from her run in Karlsruhe.

The field includes six other women who have broken the 4:10 barrier: Ethiopia’s Tizita Bogale, Treniere Moser from the U.S., Diana and Elina Sujew from Germany, the native Hannah England, and Morocco’s Siham Hilali.

Unlike Farah's race, the return to Birmingham won’t be as grand for Hannah England. The World Championship 1500m silver medalist was a student at Birmingham University before crossing the pond and competing for Florida State University. Expect a very warm welcome, but she’ll have her hands full this Saturday.

400m - Men

Name	Personal Best (indoors)
Lalonde Gordan (TRI)	46.43 (NYC, 2012)
Nigel Levine (GBR)	45.71 (Birmingham, 2012)
Luguelin Santos (DOM)	46.83 (Istanbul, 2012)
Calvin Smith (USA)	45.61 (outdoors)
Richard Strachan (GBR)	46.22 (Birmingham, 2013)
Rabah Yousif (SUD)	46.24 (Birmingham, 2011)

There are quite a few familiar faces in the men’s 400m. While we were in Boston and New York this indoor season, we were able to catchup with the Olympic 400m bronze medalist, Lalonde Gordon. So far this season, he’s run 20.60 for 200m in Boston and 32.48 for 300m in New York.

Gordon will be challenged by the man who finished right in front of him in that Olympic 400m final, Luguelin Santos. At only age 19, the World Junior 400m champion has some serious credentials at the one lap (in this case, two lap) distance.

The field also includes Brits Richard Strachan and Nigel Levine, plus former Florida Gator, Calvin Smith.

Smith also has some indoor gold on his resume as he was a member of the 2012 World Championship 4x400m relay that took home the win in Istanbul.

3000m - Women

Name	Personal Best (indoors)
Ancuta Bobocel (ROU)	8:54.08 (Doha, 2010)
Nancy Chepkwemoi (KEN)	8:56.52 (Doha, 2012; outdoors)
Helen Clitheroe (GBR)	8:39.81 (Birmingham, 2011)
Lauren Howarth (GBR)	8:56.48 (Sheffield, 2013)
Polina Jelizarova (LAT)	8:59.75 (Eaubonne, 2013)
Jessica Judd (GBR)	9:14.71 (Sheffield, 2013)
Kristina Khaleeva (RUS)	8:57.37 (Moskva, 2012)
Ercilia Machado (POR)	9:22.21 (Pombal, 2011)
Eilish McColgan (GBR)	9:11.35 (Rieti, 2012; outdoor)
Chelsea Reilly (USA)	4:30.18 (Famouth, 2012; Road Mile)

It’s a near European Union with a special guest from Kenya in the women’s 3000m. The lone Kenyan in the field, 19-year old Nancy Chepkwemoi, is flanked by a four fellow sub-9:00 ladies from four different European nations.

The class of the field is England’s Helen Clitheroe, who set her indoor 3000m personal best two years ago in Birmingham. This race will be a stepping stone in her buildup for the London Marathon this April.

While there’s one Kenyan in the field, there’s also one lone American. In a short amount of time, Chelsea Reilly has transformed into a new athlete. The former University of California Bear is now under coach Magda Boulet and has found success on the roads. In her first ever 10k, Reilly took home her first national title tt the 2012 USA 10k Championships. Not a bad debut.

While she is the school record holder at the indoor mile (4:48.89), Reilly has clocked an impressive 4:29.0 on the roads. Although she finished 18th at the USA Cross Country Championships, she could easily bounce back at a distance that could be perfect for this new professional.

800m - Men

Name	Personal Best (indoors)
Mohamed Aman (ETH)	1:45.40 (Birmingham, 2012)
Amine El Manaoui (MAR)	1:45.00 (Rabat, 2012; outdoors)
Abubaker Kaki (SUD)	1:44.81 (Valencia, 2008)
Guy Learmonth (GBR)	1:47.84 (Birmingham 2012)
Mukhtar Mohammed (GBR)	1:45.55 (Sheffield, 2013)
Andrew Osagie (GBR)	1:46.53 (Birmingham, 2012)
Josef Repcik (SVK)	1:47.06 (Birmingham 2008)
Michael Rimmer (GBR)	1:43.89 (Rieti, 2010 - Outdoor)
Matt Scherer (USA)	Rabbit
Joe Thomas (GBR)	1:46.33 (Stockholm, 2012)

In a small reunion from the greatest 800m race ever run, three athletes from the famed London Olympic 800m final take to the track in Birmingham. Ethiopia’s national record holder and the only man who has beaten Rudisha in the last two years, Mohammed Aman goes up against double World Indoor 800m champion, Abubaker Kaki. The two finished sixth and seventh in the Olympic final, respectively.

Although Michael Rimmer has been the face of British 800m running for quite some time, newcomer Andrew Osagie is Great Britain’s big favorite in Birmingham. Last year, Osagie snagged bronze at the World Indoor 800m championship and is now the fastest 8th place finisher at 800m of all-time (it’s a weird title, but he ran 1:43.77 in the Olympic final).

60m - Women

But the biggest matchup of the meet will come in the women’s 60m as the gold and silver medalist from the Olympic Games 100m take to the track.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Carmelita Jeter once again go up against each other in this absolutely stunning sprint rivalry. Jeter has already run 7.18 this season while Fraser-Pryce has yet to open her indoor campaign.

One entrant who could spoil the fun is the Ivory Coast’s Murielle Ahoure. The World Indoor 60m silver medalist has the current world-leading time of 7.00 in the event. Add four more ladies who have run under 7.17, including one who has already taken down Jeter in the 60m, and the race is wide open.

60m - Men

The men’s 60m is also a tough race to call. Jamaica’s Lerone Clarke leads the field with his #2 time in the world from Dusseldorf (6.52), but he isn’t a runaway. World Indoor silver medalist Nesta Carter, Mike Rodgers from the U.S., and Kim Collins all look to walk with from Birmingham as the victor.

Make sure to tune in at 8am ET on Flotrack for this historic live event. If you’re watching, make sure to tweet your pictures of you and your English breakfast (#FloEnglish) to win a brand new Flotrack t-shirt.

Until then, ta-ta.