Mounir Akbache (born 14 March 1986) is a French middle-distance runner. After achieving modest success on the national level, he became a pacemaker (also known as a rabbit) for the Diamond League. As a rabbit, Akbache has paced several middle-distance world records in athletics, including for the indoor 3000 metres and outdoor 2000 metres.[2]
 Akbache pacing the 2022 FBK Games 1500 m | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  France |
| Born | 14 March 1986[1] |
| Education | |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | 1500 metres 800 metres |
| Club | Club Athlétique de Montreuil 93[1] |
| Achievements and titles | |
| National finals |
|
| Personal best(s) | 1500m: 3:39.81 (2014) 800m: 1:49.55 (2021) |
| Updated on 6 April 2024 | |
Athletics career
editAkbache's individual career started as early as 2006, and he raced at several French Athletics Championships with a best placing of 4th at the 2015 indoor edition in the 1500 metres.[3] Despite national-level successes, he was not able to qualify for the highest level of international competition, so he became a pacemaker.[4]
Pacing career
editAkbache paced his first world record at the 2023 Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais, leading Lamecha Girma to break a 25-year-old record in the indoor 3000 metres. Speaking in French after the race, Akbache said, "I could feel that [Girma] was hyper-confident. He'd done some crazy sessions in training, he knew he had the world record in his legs".[5]
Akbache is one of Jakob Ingebrigtsen's favorite pacemakers, helping Ingebrigtsen break the 2000 metres world record at the 2023 Memorial Van Damme.[6] At the 2023 Bislett Games, Akbache paced Ingebrigtsen through the first lap in 55.47 seconds, leading Track & Field News to state "the pacing couldn't have been better". Ingebrigtsen would set a best of 3:27.95 in that race, a national record.[7]
Personal life
editAkbache is a member of the Club athlétique de Montreuil 93 athletics club in France.[1] He studied at the Institut national des sciences appliquées de Lyon, and he is also an engineer at the Roads Testing and Materials Department for the Centre Expérimental de Recherches et d'Etudes du Bâtiment et des Travaux Publics.[8][3]
Statistics
editPersonal best progression
edit| # | Mark | Pl. | Competition | Venue | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3:52.97 | 6th (Heat 1-22) | French U23 Championships | Vénissieux, France | 19 July 2008 | [9] |
| 2 | 3:47.54 |  |
Villefranche-sur-Saone, France | 25 June 2010 | [10] | |
| 3 | 3:47.37 | 5th | Chassieu, France | 10 June 2011 | [11] | |
| 4 | 3:47.28 | 7th | Meeting National D1 de Besançon | Besançon, France | 13 June 2011 | [12] |
| 5 | 3:46.49 | 8th (Round B) | Meeting National D1 de Metz Moselle Athlelor | Metz, France | 26 June 2011 | [13] |
| 6 | 3:44.69 | 7th | Memorial Leon Buyle, Putbosstadion, Lede-Oordegem | Oordegem, Belgium | 1 July 2011 | [14] |
| 7 | 3:42.83 | 5th (Round B) | Memorial Gert Rasschaert | Ninove, Belgium | 20 July 2012 | [15] |
| 8 | 3:42.62 | 11th | Meeting National de Montbéliard | Montbéliard, France | 5 June 2014 | [16] |
| 9 | 3:41.76 | 7th | Meeting National d'Amiens | Amiens, France | 20 June 2014 | [17] |
| 10 | 3:39.81 | 10th | Meeting Pro Athlé Tour de Montreuil | Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, France | 6 July 2014 | [18] |
References
edit- ^ a b c Mounir Akbache at Tilastopaja (registration required)
- ^ Lagat, Justin (21 July 2023). "Athletic fans in Monaco witness world-leading performances as Kipyegon breaks the world record again". runblogrun. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Championnats de France Elite : Mounir Akbache pas loin de créer la surprise sur 800 mètres". Vo2 (in French). 23 February 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ AOMH. "AOMH - Meeting Mondeville 2024 - Mounir Akbache, un coureur au service des autres". www.aomh.fr. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "L'Éthiopien Lamecha Girma bat le record du monde du 3000 m". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "#27 - Mounir Akbache : Lièvre international". On Your Marks (in French). Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Oslo DL Men — Ingebrigtsen Leads Deep 1500 – Track & Field News". Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "SPORT & PERFORMANCE - Mounir Akbache, ingénieur chef de service et athlète". Syntec (in French). Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Athletics recap for meeting #11979127". Tilastopaja.
- ^ "Athletics recap for meeting #12798996". Tilastopaja.
- ^ "Athletics recap for meeting #12811622". Tilastopaja.
- ^ "Athletics recap for meeting #12811604". Tilastopaja.
- ^ "Athletics recap for meeting #12812379". Tilastopaja.
- ^ "Athletics recap for meeting #12812683". Tilastopaja.
- ^ "Athletics recap for meeting #12824916". Tilastopaja.
- ^ "Athletics recap for meeting #12851678". Tilastopaja.
- ^ "Athletics recap for meeting #12852387". Tilastopaja.
- ^ "Athletics recap for meeting #12852814". Tilastopaja.