{"id":76866,"date":"2025-05-10T11:05:39","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T03:05:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/?p=76866"},"modified":"2025-05-10T11:05:39","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T03:05:39","slug":"too-early-to-say-a-column-by-len-johnson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/len-johnson-articles\/too-early-to-say-a-column-by-len-johnson\/","title":{"rendered":"Too early to say | A column by Len Johnson"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Way back in 1972, when Frank Shorter was just a crazy young kid with a dream of winning the Olympic marathon and China was just beginning to emerge onto the international stage after decades of isolation, Chinese premier Zhou Enlai was asked about the impact of the French Revolution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cToo early to say,\u201d Zhou replied of an event which was approaching its two hundredth anniversary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s inscrutability for you. Readers with keen memories may also recognise it as one of this writer\u2019s favourite hooks, but there you go.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Were he still alive, and a keen athletics fan \u2013 one of which propositions is definitely false, the other unknowable &#8211; Zhou might make the same comment about Michael Johnson\u2019s Grand Slam Track project. Launched with great fanfare, Grand Slam Track is two meetings into its first season with two more to come in the next few weeks. Is it the next big thing? A big thing at all? Too early to say.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_76867\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-76867\" style=\"width: 696px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-76867\" src=\"https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Michael-Johnsons-Grand-Slam-Track-1024x683.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"696\" height=\"464\" srcset=\"https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Michael-Johnsons-Grand-Slam-Track-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Michael-Johnsons-Grand-Slam-Track-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Michael-Johnsons-Grand-Slam-Track-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Michael-Johnsons-Grand-Slam-Track-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Michael-Johnsons-Grand-Slam-Track-696x464.webp 696w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Michael-Johnsons-Grand-Slam-Track-1068x712.webp 1068w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Michael-Johnsons-Grand-Slam-Track-630x420.webp 630w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Michael-Johnsons-Grand-Slam-Track.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-76867\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Johnson. (c) AP 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s plenty of good things about it. First and foremost among them that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has signed on. SML has already raced four times, twice each at the 400 metres hurdles and the 400, which, not counting heats, is already about as many individual races as she has raced in either of the past two years. Under the GST format, in which athletes have to race twice over three days in each of the four meetings, she will run at least four more. Eight times Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone? Gotta be happy with that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And with every race being a straight final of eight athletes, the competition is distilled to its essence. Fans have already seen some great racing such as the men\u2019s 1500 in the first meeting in Kingston, Jamaica where Olympic 800 champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi upstaged the specialists.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_76868\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-76868\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-76868\" src=\"https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/41_2024-638589220196182896-618.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/41_2024-638589220196182896-618.jpg 800w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/41_2024-638589220196182896-618-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/41_2024-638589220196182896-618-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/41_2024-638589220196182896-618-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/41_2024-638589220196182896-618-630x420.jpg 630w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-76868\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Athletics: Kenya&#8217;s Emmanuel Wanyonyi edges Arop for Olympic 800m gold. (Getty) 2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s not to like? Well, the total absence of field events is one. This was pre-announced with Johnson\u2019s observation that \u201cI think I can save track. I don\u2019t think I can save track and field.\u201d That may be true, but from this distance the absence of field events leaves a big hole. One of the most appealing aspects of an athletics meeting \u2013 for those spectating live, at least \u2013 is that there is something going on all the time and most of the time at least two things at once. Even in a made-for-television window gaps in a track-only program diminish the experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And while eight competitors may be ideal for sprints, hurdles and even the 800, it leaves the longer distances \u2013 GST has 1500, 3000 and 5000 \u2013 sometimes looking critically under-populated. Racing for big prize pools, too, is as likely to dictate caution in the longer races as it is to encourage boldness. There\u2019s only so many exciting last-lap dust-ups one can take.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The other hurdle GST has to jump is that it must continue to attract enough of the highest quality athletes. Some events have, others have not. Of earlier attempts at something similar, the most successful was the International Track Association which lasted four years from 1972 to 1976, attracted good spectator interest and featured many of the champions of the 1972 Munich Olympics. In the end though, ITA foundered on not being able to sign up the projected stars of Montreal 1976 (of course, that was in the amateur-professional era while now athletics is open).<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_76869\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-76869\" style=\"width: 696px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-76869\" src=\"https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wx0zuwedakuxc3i25i5e-1024x538.avif\" alt=\"\" width=\"696\" height=\"366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wx0zuwedakuxc3i25i5e-1024x538.avif 1024w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wx0zuwedakuxc3i25i5e-300x158.avif 300w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wx0zuwedakuxc3i25i5e-768x403.avif 768w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wx0zuwedakuxc3i25i5e-696x365.avif 696w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wx0zuwedakuxc3i25i5e-1068x561.avif 1068w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wx0zuwedakuxc3i25i5e-800x420.avif 800w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wx0zuwedakuxc3i25i5e.avif 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-76869\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">1972 Munich Olympics (AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grand Slam Track has made a promising start and presumably its backers have deep enough pockets to give it time to develop. But does it have a secure long-term future? Too early to say.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve barely recovered from the domestic season, but already there\u2019s a couple of \u201ctoo early to say\u201d questions floating around. After a 2:33.45 for 1000 metres and a 1:57.83 800 in the first two Diamond Leagues which, in turn, followed her second place behind Jess Hull but ahead of Georgia Griffith and Linden Hall in the national 1500, is 2025 about to be the year we see Sarah Billings fulfil her undoubted potential. Another 1500 in Japan on 18 May may provide further evidence but \u2013 too early to say.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Staying on point, what can we expect this year from Linden Hall, Catriona Bisset, Stewie McSweyn and Olli Hoare who are all trying to extend already significant stays in the top echelons of world middle-distance running. Current signs are mixed but, again, too early to say.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the other end of the spectrum, it seems one of our current crop of male sprinters must go sub-10 seconds soon. Lachie Kennedy has a legal 10-flat, Gout Gout two wind-aided sub-10s while the slightly older Rohan Browning is returning to the form which took him to a 10.01 at the Tokyo Olympics. Any day now, you\u2019d reckon, Patrick Johnson will have company in the sub-10 lists but &#8211; it\u2019s too early to say.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_76635\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-76635\" style=\"width: 768px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-76635\" src=\"https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/AA1BTzSQ.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"461\" srcset=\"https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/AA1BTzSQ.webp 768w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/AA1BTzSQ-300x180.webp 300w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/AA1BTzSQ-696x418.webp 696w, https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/AA1BTzSQ-700x420.webp 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-76635\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lachie Kennedy (right) beats Gout Gout to win the men\u2019s 200m at the Maurie Pant Meet in Melbourne. Photograph: Cameron Spencer\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Actually, a quote from English marathoner Ian Thompson \u2013 Commonwealth and European champion in 1974 \u2013 seems apt here. \u201cIn a marathon,\u201d Thompson said, \u201cthey stretch those last few miles somehow; they must use elastic measuring tapes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thompson was talking about the longest Olympic running distance, Kennedy, Gout, Browning \u2013 and several others \u2013 are competing over the shortest. But as long as those last few centimetres \u2013 in Gout\u2019s case that last puff of wind \u2013 continue to confound, it must seem that they, too, are measured with elastic tapes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another Aussie sub-10 this year? You guessed it: too early to say\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Way back in 1972, when Frank Shorter was just a crazy young kid with a dream of winning the Olympic marathon and China was just beginning to emerge onto the international stage after decades of isolation, Chinese premier Zhou Enlai was asked about the impact of the French Revolution. \u201cToo early to say,\u201d Zhou replied [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":76870,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,16],"tags":[30693],"class_list":["post-76866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-len-johnson-articles","category-features","tag-grand-slam-track"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.8 (Yoast SEO v25.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Too early to say | A column by Len Johnson - 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