Budapest 23 - Day 8 | Meta Endurance

What will the marathon bring and who are the fastest nation on the planet? Day 8 will let us know!

Day 8 – The Penultimate Day

Day 8 began with the marathon and ended with the super speedy 4 x 100m finals. Conditions were certainly not ideal for those completing the longest distance at the championships with high temperatures matched with punishing humidity. The evening saw Faith Kipyegon take to the track to take on the 5000m against Sifan Hassan and the Ethiopian team. The big trio in the women’s 800 would also see who got the medals.

Day 8: Women’s Marathon

Despite the early start, the conditions were brutal. 4 laps of a 10km loop through the wonderfully historic streets of Budapest were a tall order. Lindsey Flannagan from the United States made the early pace opening a lead on the main pack through the first lap. The strategy seemed doomed to failure on such a day and so it proved when she was reeled back in by the chasers.

As the race went on, the conditions took an ever increasing toll. 12 women were to drop out before the race ended. The pack soon split and as the laps wore on. The Ethiopian duo of Shankule and Gabreslase extended their lead over the rest. Morocco’s Gardadi ran an amazing race to grab third place.

Podium:

Amane Shankule 2:24.23

Gotytom Gebreslase 2:24.34

Fatima Gardadi 2:25.17

Day 8: 4 x 400m Relay Heats

One lap of the track for each member of the team. One mistake can cost the country everything. The relays are always an exciting part of any championships. They add chaos, excitement and an opportunity for an outsider to gain a medal.

The men’s heats saw just that with a qualification to the final for India who are not usually a sprinting powerhouse.Along the way, they managed to set an area record of 2:59.05 They were joined in the final by a dominant US team.

On the women’s side of the draw, the USA would not make it into the final after a disqualification in the heats. Jamaica came through on top and were joined by the usual suspects to set up an exciting final with an extra spot on the podium available due to the absence of the US.

The Italian women’s team had a wonderful run to set a new National Record of 3:23.86

Qualifying for the final:

Men

USA 2:58.47

India 2:59.05 (AR)

Great Britain 2:59.42

Botswana 2:59.42

Jamaica 2:59.82

France 3:00.05

Italy 3:00.14

Netherlands 3:00.23

Women

Jamaica 3:22.74 (WL)

Canada 3:23.29

Great Britain 3:23.33

Belgium 3:23.63

Netherlands 3:23.75

Italy 3:23.86 (NR)

Poland 3:24.05

Ireland 3:26.18

France 3:27.50 (qR)

Day 8: Men’s 800m Final

Next on track, we had the men’s 800m final. With no clear favourite, it was a question of who would step up on the night. Enter Marco Arop. The Canadian ran a very smart race. Unusually, the giant Canadian took a place at the back of the pack instead of being the front runner for the race. The bell was his call to action. Surging to the front, he never let up the pouring on of pace. Gold was his. 1:44.24

Second was taken by Wanyonyi of Kenya in 1:44.53 while an impressive performance by Ben Pattison of Britain saw him secure bronze in his first World Championship.

Podium:

Marco Arop 1:44.24

Emmanuel Wanyonyi 1:44.53

Ben Pattison 1:44.83

Day 8: Women’s 5000m Final

Faith Kipyegon came on a quest for her second gold in Budapest. Sifan Hassan came looking for her first from three attempts. Gudaf Tsegay was out to defend her title. The first couple of laps were led by the Ethiopian contingent in the race while Kipyegon and the Kenyans pushed their way forward from the third to dictate the pace of the race.

Hassan, as is tradition, lurked at the back of the pack biding her time to strike. The bell summoned life back into the race. Kipyegon began the long kick for home. Hassan went with her. Chebet stuck with the group determined to build on her silver in Oregon and World Cross gold. Around the last bend, Kipyegon found another gear. Surging forwards, leaving her competitors in her wake, she broke the tape in 14:53.88 to secure an unprecedented double of 1500 and 5000m gold at the World Championships. Hassan secured silver in 14:54.11 while Chebet had to settle for bronze in 14:54.33.

Podium:

Faith Kipyegon 14:53.88

Sifan Hassan 14.54.11

Beatrice Chebet 14:54.33

Day 8: 4 x 100m Finals

From 12.5 laps of the track to just one shared between a team of 4. The fastest athletes on the planet gathered together to get the baton around, hopefully without incident. The men’s teams took to the track first. Clear favourites being the USA. Not many countries are able to place 3 world champions in their starting lineup. Italy, the Olympic relay champions, were hopeful of a medal but their individuals were not showing the form of Tokyo.

From the frenzy of action around the Budapest track, America emerged triumphant. 37.38 was enough to take the gold and see off the Italian team who finished in 37.62 for silver. Claiming bronze, Jamaica made it round safely in 37.76.

Noah Lyles completed a wonderful championships with a third gold around his neck. An amazing week!

The women were next to go. Bringing us the featured race of the evening. A clash of the titans between Jamaica and the USA. The fastest women in the world would battle for supremacy on this balmy Budapest night. The anchor legs ensured that we would, again, have Richardson taking on Jackson for gold. Plaudits for this gold must go to Gabby Thomas, taking the baton in second behind a lead set by Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, she rocketed around, not only eating the lead but handing the baton over two metres ahead of the Jamaicans.

From there, Richardson brought it home in a championship record . The men’s team still waiting on the track joined with the wild celebrations. Stars and stripes flew around the track as the teams celebrated their multitude of medals. Jamaica second and Great Britain third.