Every time a favorite loses at Worlds or the Olympics, the headlines scream “shocking upset.” Enough already. These aren’t upsets. This is what racing looks like.

Geordie Beamish’s 7/100ths of a second win over Olympic and World champ Soufiane El Bakkali win in Tokyo in the 3000m steeplechase might have ended the Moroccan’s four major title win streak. But it shouldn’t have shocked anyone.

Just like when Jake Wightman dropped Jakob Ingebrigtsen in Eugene in 2022. Just like Josh Kerr buried him again in Budapest in 2023. That’s not shocking—it’s championship racing doing what it always does: exposing who can handle the pressure when the pacers are gone.

Here’s the problem: the Diamond League has conditioned people to think track is only about times. Rabbits drag fields through 800 meters, 2k, 3k splits, chasing 7:30s and 12:50s. Fine for stat sheets. But championships don’t work that way. No pacers. No metronome. It’s about tactics, guts, and who dares when the bell rings.

Beamish didn’t need 8:00 fitness. He needed the composure to recover from a fall in the prelims, the nerve to stay close, and the timing to strike when it mattered. That’s racing. Besides, he proved himself before winning the World Indoor 1500m title in 2024.

Think golf: stroke play (lowest score wins over four rounds) vs. match play (head-to-head over 18 holes). Both are golf, but they reward very different skill sets.

Calling every unexpected outcome an “upset” cheapens it. It frames brilliance as luck. Beamish didn’t get lucky—he beat the Olympic champ at his own game. Wightman didn’t stumble into gold—he ran the race of his life. Kerr didn’t upset Ingebrigtsen—he outfought him.

So here’s the fix: stop obsessing over times. Start celebrating racecraft. The sport doesn’t need more “upsets.” It needs fans who understand that in championship racing, the fastest guy on paper isn’t guaranteed anything.

And that’s exactly what makes it beautiful.

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