Left field

Do pacemakers have a place in athletics?

Post-event news conferences in the age of the sound bite seldom disclose much beyond the predictable and the banal.

So intentionally or not, Sammy Wanjiru provoked consternation by straying from the accustomed script when he was invited to comment on the pacemaking after winning Sunday’s London marathon.

Wanjiru succeeded fellow-Kenyan Martin Lel as the London champion after a trio of pacemakers had hurtled through the halfway mark in 61 minutes 35 seconds, the quickest split ever recorded.

According to the pundits, including the BBC race commentators, a ruinous early speed cost the Kenyan champion any chance of a world record. Wanjiru was having none of that. Instead he complained they should have run faster and lasted longer.

“I told the pacemakers they were going too slow,” the Olympic champion said. “They were very tired. For me it was not very fast. I like the high pace. Maybe next time we can get a good pacemaker. And we can try again.”

Wanjiru was asked at what point in the race he thought the pacemakers should stop. “Thirty five kilometres,” replied Wanjiru, prompting an observation that they might as well continue for the remaining seven kms and attempt to win themselves.

The Kenyan’s comments reopened an old debate about the merits or otherwise of pacemakers.