How experience, patience, race execution could lead Canadian runner Marco Arop to world title repeat

Chris Woods says Marco Arop is among the greatest 800-metre runners of all-time and can repeat as men's champion next week at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The coach's ongoing challenge is to convince his Canadian athlete and the national record holder of this belief.

"There are special people that are generational that can close their eyes and don't believe when they're shooting the ball at the basket it's going to go in, but it goes in," Woods said on a Zoom call this week before joining Arop in Japan.

"Marco knows what he's capable of, for sure. I still think that he can surprise himself. I believe he has something in him, and it's not that he believes it isn't there but he's like, 'Not me, right?' He can't believe he possesses [a certain level] of talent.

"He's a truly, truly special person and truly, truly special athlete," continued the head track and field coach at Mississippi State University. "If he saw his ability the way I do, he would 100 per cent be the world champion."

Of course, there are other factors in the Edmonton native's pursuit of a world title, which will contested around 9:30 a.m. ET on Sept. 20 at Japan National Stadium.

Remaining healthy through the heats, semifinal and final will be paramount, but Arop must race smart, tactically and to win, along with being patient before making an in-race move on his competitors.

Woods believes Arop, a 2025 Olympic silver medallist, five-time Canadian champ and one of the country's stronger medal hopes in Tokyo, is most successful when drawing from his experience.

"Experience will indicate to him when needs to make specific [in-race] moves," the coach said. "He may need to do one thing [in the heats] and a completely different thing in the semifinals. [But] I do think patience is required [and] I think aggression is required."

WATCH | Arop on playing chess and his other interests away from the track:

On Aug. 28, Arop inched closer to getting the better of reigning Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, trailing his Kenyan rival by less than one metre at the finish line for third at the Diamond League Final in Zürich.

Woods had hoped Arop, who reached the finish in one minute 42.57 seconds and 20-100ths behind the victorious Wanyonyi, was "a touch" more aggressive in the opening 300 metres.

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"Now that we know we could have gone out a bit quicker [in Zürich] and still been able to hold on [down the straightaway] since we know what feels like, it's going to be important to not make that same mistake twice, especially [at worlds] because the margin for error is so small," said Woods.

The biggest takeaway from Zürich, Arop told CBC Sports recently, was understanding he can't always make a move down the backstretch and hold his own over the final 200 metres.

"I don't have to start my kick from 250 metres [to the finish]. I can wait a bit more," said the world's No. 2-ranked 800 runner, sporting a red T-shirt with the Canadian flag on the front. "Getting too excited and feeling good with 300 metres to go has been the case all year."

Health-wise, the 26-year-old should be completely recovered from a "minor" right Achilles tendon issue (initially reported as a pinkie toe injury) that would allow him to be more aggressive early in races.

"I'm feeling very good about going into worlds," said Arop, who spent most of August training at altitude in St. Moritz, Switzerland after the Canadian championships. "Physically, my body wasn't holding me back [at the Diamond League Final]. I've been getting a lot of help from my physiotherapist [Canadian Marilou Lamy]. It's always good when the only problem in a race is tactics."

WATCH | Coach Chris Woods on Arop's ability to win races in multiple ways:

U.S. coach discusses Canadian athlete's talent to win races as a front runner and coming from behind.

Recently, Woods incorporated speed work in Arop's training and indicated the athlete is headed in the proper direction. He also noted Arop is about as fit as he's ever been, in terms of aerobic strength.

Wanyonyi holds a 12-5 edge over Arop in career matchups but the Canadian prevailed at this season's first Grand Slam Track meet in Kingston, Jamaica, before the Kenyan beat him at Diamond League meets in Monaco and London, where Arop clocked a 1:42.22 season best with an ailing Achilles.

"As he's developed more, he's been able to have that little bit more in just about every race," Arop said of Wanyonyi. "It's great competing against him because I do feel he makes me a better athlete overall.

"I'm confident if I can run 1:42 not [feeling] 100 per cent, I'll be in a much better place [at full health]."

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Despite his success, Arop noted his confidence "comes and goes." He recalled being "full of confidence" entering each round at the 2023 worlds but felt the opposite when he arrived at the Paris Olympics last summer.

"If I'm too confident, I can't let that get in the way," said Arop. "If I'm not, I can't let that hold me back from executing at my best. I don't know if I've figured out what works best, but something seems to be working."

As for his world title defence, Arop added: "I think it's going to be a great challenge. I'm not shy about competition so I'm looking forward to it."

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