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Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

nytimes.com

11–20 of 281 posts

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#11
post #7

While an amazing achievement, this seems quite artificial. A team of human pacemakers and following a car going at just the right speed. Non paywalled link with photo of laser-guiding pace-car: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/12/sport/eliud-kipchoge-mara... I can't find anything about anyone doing it on a treadmill before this, though. Maybe that's harder for some reason? Eliud Kipchoge's world record is 2:01:39, whi…

of course it is somewhat staged for optimal conditions, but still an amazing achievement. It's not an official world record and everybody is aware of that.

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#12
post #7

While an amazing achievement, this seems quite artificial. A team of human pacemakers and following a car going at just the right speed. Non paywalled link with photo of laser-guiding pace-car: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/12/sport/eliud-kipchoge-mara... I can't find anything about anyone doing it on a treadmill before this, though. Maybe that's harder for some reason? Eliud Kipchoge's world record is 2:01:39, whi…

Well the first 4-minute mile was achieved in a similar manner and for some reason it is well known in the popular imagination. To be honest I think these arbitrary marks of achievement are all very artificial and more about good PR more than anything else. Personally I think the 2 hour marathon is slightly less arbitrary than the 4-minute mile but breaking it was only a matter of time.

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#16
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would a treadmill be safe at that pace? 13mph is extremely fast especially over a sustained period of time.

I don't know how safe it is, but people have done times in that general speed range, e.g. Eric Blake's 2:21:40: https://www.recordholders.org/en/list/treadmill.html

2:21 is not even in the same ballpark as <2:00. 2:21 is a very respectable time, but not even international/national standard. It's a chasm.

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#17
His pace was an incredibly consistent 2:50/km which to someone who casually runs with a workout tracker and runs far less distance than a marathon is absurd. I know his official race time is barely slower and this was about shaving a few seconds per km off that, but that pace is just insane.

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#18
post #13
post #3

Factor of 4 difference between Eliud and the average human male. Factor of 4!

Citation needed ? > He ran behind a timing car driving 4:34 per mile I think most men could pull 12 minute miles (26 in a row, that is), so maybe a factor of 3?

Define "could", my intuition is that there is a vast population of men who couldn't complete a one mile run (right now with no training)

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#20

His pace was an incredibly consistent 2:50/km which to someone who casually runs with a workout tracker and runs far less distance than a marathon is absurd. I know his official race time is barely slower and this was about shaving a few seconds per km off that, but that pace is just insane.

Here is a short (45s) video showing side by side comparison of 4-hour, 3-hour and 2-hour pace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTlmxYwiqw4

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