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Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

nytimes.com

271–280 of 281 posts

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#271

So Kipchoge had rotating teams of pacemakers running _before_ him, throughout the race. Each team was able to outrun Kipchoge for a short amount of time, but of course Kipchoge himself had to keep the same pace throughout the race. This reminded me of an episode from Terry Pratchett's Small Gods . This is mostly from memory, but he describes an invasion of the country Ephebe where the invasion force comes from the si…

> It's a slow and costly process, but it gets the job done and it made me wonder if there are algorithms like that, that can compute results otherwise uncomputable The catch with certain classes (maybe/probably all? disclaimer: am not theoretical computer scientist/mathematician) of uncomputable problems is that they are such that there is no notion of "getting closer" to the solution that's analogous to traversing t…

No, you're right. I say "uncomputable" but that's not what's happening here. The problem is not "uncomputable" it's just that the result is negative (X men can't cross Y distance carrying Z provisions).

Thanks for pointing this out, my bad for using "uncomputable" wrong.

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not alone in thinking this, but it's not just his pace that makes him truly remarkable, it's his consistency. I can't remember accurate numbers, but I think it's like in ten consecutive marathons, he came first nine times. Runners are prone to injury, and if you're not feeling 100% on the race you're likely to not win or run at your best.

He has won all ten of his last ten marathons. He was beaten by Wilson Kipsang in the 2013 Berlin marathon, but Kipsang ran a world record time. Kipchoge is incredibly consistent in arguably the most competitive field in history. He is an extraordinary athlete in both performance and spirit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliud_Kipchoge#Competition_rec...

How is marathon running more competitive field than football or American football or basketball?

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#273
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A device like google glass wouldn't be much heavier than their usual glasses.

There are specific limits on the size and functionality of sunglasses at sanctioned track and field events. Some events don't even allow the use of Garmin watches (by elite runners) because they can be used for pacing.

Very much a non-elite runner here, but yeah, "run vs my previous best pace" is a standard mode and seeing "you are 12 seconds ahead and will finish with a time of xx:yy" is very, very motivating.

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#274
post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So use an AR headset to put a virtual person in front of you keeping a constant pace?

What possible benefit would AR provide in this situation?

AR would allow each athlete their own personal pacing grid, or ghost racer, or ideal line. You can run that on a watch or bike computer (or heads-up display), but AR would be that much more intuitive.

It doesn't apply to this one-person demonstration event, but it would sell like crazy to the gear nuts.

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He has won all ten of his last ten marathons. He was beaten by Wilson Kipsang in the 2013 Berlin marathon, but Kipsang ran a world record time. Kipchoge is incredibly consistent in arguably the most competitive field in history. He is an extraordinary athlete in both performance and spirit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliud_Kipchoge#Competition_rec...

How is marathon running more competitive field than football or American football or basketball?

Any able-bodied person who owns shoes can run. Even people too poor to own shoes can often become excellent runners. Coaches help, but many people have reached near elite levels before having access to a coach.

It's the one sport that's open to just about everyone.

Perversely, this makes its highest levels open to only the most extreme of genetic freaks.

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the team did not fully grasp how huge of a difference laser guided pacemaker and fully covered wind guard makes. The difference could have been greater -- maybe we're even going to see a peloton effect in future marathons utilized to the fullest.

Forgive my ignorance: what's the Peloton effect (I know the company; not sure what the "effect" is), and what's the laser guided pacemaker you're referring to?

If you look on youtube for this event, you'll see there was a vehicle driving in front of the pack that was aiming a laser at the feet of the runners. It appears to make it easier to follow a pace very accurately by making sure your feet are following the laser.

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#277
This was done with: - full on pack drafting (draft benefit of a pack is 70% in cycling, so probably at least in the 20% range at running speeds - laser-guided least distance path - all nutrition and liquids delivered by rotating cast of drafters

I've also seen no details on the drug controls, which even with biological passport are weak. The liklihood this record didn't involve EPO microdosing at a minimum is very unlikely.

Distance records took a massive hammering as EPO became prevalent (it could not be tested initially and still is very difficult to detect using microdosing), and the records are still falling.

Such was the drop in times from EPO use that there is little chance a bunch of training techniques were invented to compensate for its effects.

People are still on it using microdosing and other drugs. There was a british journalist that willingly went on EPO microdosing with biological passport to personally test if he would have been caught.

Answer: nope.

There has also been a cycling magazine writer that went on HGH, steroids, and EPO to test each of them out. EPO was a ludicrous advantage.

But... news headline justifies everything.

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is marathon running more competitive field than football or American football or basketball?

Any able-bodied person who owns shoes can run. Even people too poor to own shoes can often become excellent runners. Coaches help, but many people have reached near elite levels before having access to a coach. It's the one sport that's open to just about everyone. Perversely, this makes its highest levels open to only the most extreme of genetic freaks.

You need a lot more than shoes to run a marathon. The time and environment required to get there is much less accessible than something like soccer, football, or basketball.

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any able-bodied person who owns shoes can run. Even people too poor to own shoes can often become excellent runners. Coaches help, but many people have reached near elite levels before having access to a coach. It's the one sport that's open to just about everyone. Perversely, this makes its highest levels open to only the most extreme of genetic freaks.

You need a lot more than shoes to run a marathon. The time and environment required to get there is much less accessible than something like soccer, football, or basketball.

You don't even need the shoes in all cases:

> "Many theories are offered up as the secret to Kenya's success in long distance running, but one of the most commonly cited, especially by Kenyans themselves, is the hard, active life the children here lead. Most run long distances to school each morning, and when they get home they are sent out to tend to the goats or sheep. There are few televisions, let alone PlayStations or Xboxes."

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2014/11/04/3614032...

It's definitely true that the marathon is somewhat less accessible than short or mid-distance running, but it doesn't take years of marathon running to be a top marathoner. Much of the fitness transfers from mid-distances. Many competitive 10k runners post elite times in their very first marathon race. This means that in practice, the marathon is very nearly as competitive as that for a middle distance race.

Re: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier

#280
post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WASI recognizes Eliud Kipchoge's 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 40 seconds time as the current world record marathon distance running time.

It seems a shame that 99.99% of humans will never have the opportunity to break the record. If only there was a category for people who race unassisted by a large team of pacers, cyclists who feed them specially designed gel, and laser-equipped pacer cars.

It's unfortunate that Eliud Kipchoge can afford to run first class while others can only run coach. However fueling is available at aid stations and along the route from a runners support crew in coach. Many people cannot even afford coach and will be lucky to run verified once or twice in their life. Pheidippides would likely be very jealous of coach, never mind first class.

WASI does not hate the player. WASI hates the game.

Also you are missing a bunch of nines because out of the 7.7bn people on earth there are probably only a a few capable of running that time; lasers or no lasers :) Seriously though, he ran the distance under his own power and nobody denies that. They are all just like *"Unfortunately it's not going to be official". Not official why?! Oh, because the IAAF doesn't recognize it; a little fact almost every news release leaves out. That sounds trivial and arbitrary. It should be called the "IAAF World Record".

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