– It is always a challenge for organizers to find people who are good enough physically to do the job they are supposed to do. Then they should also have something between their ears when you have to do a job where things are often ordered, says Jakob Ingebrigtsen to news. The 23-year-old from Sandnes is the one who most often crosses the finish line first and who most often sets the conditions before the start. When things have to go fast, he depends on help. Usually in the form of two hares running as long as they can. And the light by the list. – If you are going to run as fast as you can, it is clear that it is better to run further behind someone. But when the speed is so high from the start, and you like to sprint at a high speed for a long time, there are limited people who can do it at the front. One of those who can do it is Slovenian Žan Rudolf. Behind his name will be three letters on Thursday night: DNF. “Did Not Finish”. Did not complete. He almost never crosses the finish line. His job is over in less than two minutes. When Jakob Ingebrigtsen ran 3.26.73 minutes in 1500 meters in Monaco, Rudolf led the field in just under 850 meters as the first of two hares. – The best experience was with Jakob, when he set a European record, but I hope that one of the races will lead to a world record, says Rudolf to news. READY FOR THE JOB: Zan Rudolf in place in Lausanne. Photo: Fredrik Tombra / news The Slovenian is in place in Lausanne in Switzerland, where Ingebrigtsen will compete in her first competition after the Olympics in Paris. “You are one of the best” It is expected that Ingebrigtsen will challenge the European record – 3.26.73 minutes – in the 1500 meters on Thursday. The light hare is set to two times: The green light goes to 3.26.73 – Ingebrigtsen’s European record The white light goes to 3.28.72 – Ingebrigtsen’s meeting record in Lausanne And first in the line of helpers is the Slovenian Rudolf. – I know who you are. You are one of the best, exclaims Ingebrigtsen’s agent Daniel Wessfeldt to the Slovenian, as he walks past news’s interview on Wednesday evening. Rudolf will drag the field as long as he can take it at the desired speed. It probably lasts for 800 to 900 meters. Then Luke McCann takes over at the front. The time at 800 meters is 1.50.50 minutes, almost identical to when Rudolf passed 800 meters in 1.50.66 in Monaco during Ingebrigtsen’s 3.26.73 run. The green light then goes on to pass 1000 meters in 2.18.50. SIDE BY SIDE: Jakob Ingebrigtsen started next to Zan Rudolf in Monaco. Number three is hare number two, Pieter Sisk. Photo: Manon Cruz / Reuters Jakob Ingebrigtsen prefers a progressive entrance to the races. Rudolf believes that it may be necessary to run half a second to a second faster to challenge Hicham El Guerrouj’s world record of 3.26.00 minutes. – I think it is a good pace for a world record. So it’s not that simple. If you are not in good shape, it is very difficult to push yourself, says Rudolf, who trains in the same way as when he himself started as a runner. His personal record for 800 meters is 1.45.15 minutes. Rudolf has previously participated in the WC and the Olympics, but now he makes a living like a hare. He trains as hard as before, but has more focus on endurance to be able to go at distances such as 1,500 meters and 3,000 meters. Now he also has the advantage of being able to participate in the biggest conventions on a regular basis. As an active, the Diamond League was a dream to reckon with. HAS HELPED MANY NORDIMEN: Rudolf set the standard when Tobias Grønstad (number two) qualified for the Olympics during the Bislett Games in May. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB In the next few weeks, he is booked to run six events in ten days, including 1,500 meters in Lausanne and Zurich. He will also try to pull for the world record in one English mile in Dortmund. Serves more like a hare Since he started the hare job a couple of seasons ago, it has been full of assignments. You may have seen him at the front of the field during the Bislett Games, where he first towed Tobias Grønstad towards the Olympic qualification and later Jakob Ingebrigtsen. He now estimates that he earns better as a hare than he did as a professional runner. – When I say that to someone, they say: “really, how is this possible?”, smiles Rudolf, who now lives in Finland. – I think there is a big difference, at least for me. When I was a professional runner, it was not possible to survive on what I earned. Then I had a job on the side and some support from the association, says Rudolf, who realized that 1.45 was not going to hold up against 1.41 and 1.42 runners. – For me, it is more profitable as a hare, he continues. Use of hares in athletics Pacers in athletics became an increasingly common sight after Roger Bannister, with good help from Chris Basher and Chris Chataway, got under the magic four-minute mark for one English mile in 1954. Previously, it was also mandated that the hares completed the race, which is no longer the case and is now highly unusual. The purpose of the hares is for them to function as speed controllers for the rest of the field, and ensure a steady speed. However, one of the most famous hare stories is Tom Byers from the Bislett Games in 1981. Byers was then hare in the 1500 metres, in a field with several of the biggest stars in the world. The American kept up the pace, but could not keep up with the field behind. Instead, he got a big gap and just kept clear in front of Steve Ovett. Hares are not allowed in championships, but are common in most major races worldwide, including the Diamond League. However, it is not planned that there will be hares in Michael Johnson’s new athletics league, Grand Slam Track, which will start in 2025. In the last couple of years, it has also become common to use light hares. That is, a flashing light that follows the athletes around the track and shows what speed they must be at in order to beat a certain time. The Ethiopian running legend Kenenisa Bekele suggested distinguishing between records set with and without light hare earlier this year, a proposal that Jakob Ingebrigtsen stood incomprehension of. Light hairs and speed controllers are otherwise primarily used on medium and long distances. – 1500 meters is the distance where it is most difficult According to Rudolf, the most important task of the speed controller is to keep the speed steady, and believes that the speed controllers must be in almost as good shape as the top athletes. – You must always control the race. If you run too fast so that the others are three meters behind you, you are not helping them. Then they are alone. When they slow down, you have to. I think 1,500 meters is the distance where it is most difficult to find good pacers, says Rudolf. Ingebrigtsen himself is not quite sure what time one can expect to see him run on Thursday, where he also meets Olympic winner Cole Hocker. – To be completely honest, I don’t quite know what to expect. I have built up a pretty good top of form for Paris, and then it will be exciting to see how well I have managed to take care of it, says the Norwegian. Rudolf is not the only man we get to see rope at Ingebrigtsen this week. Belgian Pieter Sisk is another. It was he who took over for Rudolf at the front in Monaco. RENEWED CONFIDENCE: Belgian Pieter Sisk did the pulling job when Jakob Ingebrigtsen stormed to a European record in Monaco. Photo: VALERY HACHE / AFP The Belgian is on the starting line on Sunday. Then a Norwegian attack on Daniel Komen’s 28-year-old record of 3000 meters in Chorzów is expected. It reads 7.20,67. PS! You can watch Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s 1500 meters in Lausanne on news, at 20.33 on Thursday evening. The convention runs from 20:00 to 22:00. Published 22.08.2024, at 14.59 Updated 22.08.2024, at 15.16
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