Feel a bit bad for Yomif Kejelcha who also broke the 2-hour mark, with this being his first competition marathon, but managed to neither break a record nor win.
Sawe becomes first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race
111–120 of 363 posts
Re: Sawe becomes first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race
#112Posted to my in-laws, who asked how: Super shoes. Most shoes have carbon plates in them now, they act as a spring, storing energy and propelling athletes forwards. Better understanding of fuelling. Most athletes are taking between 100-120g carbs (sugar) per hour. Bicarbonate of soda has also been effective. Better planning tools. Athletes look at elevation, headwind, tailwind and will plan a strategy around going har…
> Super shoes. Most shoes have carbon plates in them now, they act as a spring, storing energy and propelling athletes forwards. I wonder where that leaves the barefoot movement. Hype dust?
Was the barefoot movement ever about running faster? I always thought they sold injury prevention by strengthening tissues that running shoes tend to over support.
Re: Sawe becomes first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race
#113Re: Sawe becomes first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race
#114Earlier quoted context omitted.
Here's a random high school in Northern California. Everyone on the team is beating 16.7 seconds in the 100m. For the 1600m there are six kids with times under 4m30s and another seven with times under 4m40s, all in the last month. https://www.athletic.net/team/770/track-and-field-outdoor/20... * of course one mile is hardly comparable to the marathon that pros are able to sustain such speeds over...
Not sure that disproves the point :) Most people have never been anywhere close to competing with the top 6 athletes at a high school with ~2k students.
There are thousands of these high schools all across the USA. The top high schoolers in California so far this year are doing 1600m in 4m7s.
https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/rankings/list/168546/...
Re: Sawe becomes first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race
#115It's always interesting to see East Africans doing so well. Even with technology like advances in shoes and diet/training, genetics is still a huge factor. Also it must be an crazy feeling to be Kejelcha, the guy who came in 2nd place. It would have been a world record, except for Sawe!
Not necessarily genetic. They run a lot, at altitude, from childhood
Re: Sawe becomes first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race
#116Posted to my in-laws, who asked how: Super shoes. Most shoes have carbon plates in them now, they act as a spring, storing energy and propelling athletes forwards. Better understanding of fuelling. Most athletes are taking between 100-120g carbs (sugar) per hour. Bicarbonate of soda has also been effective. Better planning tools. Athletes look at elevation, headwind, tailwind and will plan a strategy around going har…
I thought those carbon plate shoes were barred from competition???
nope, nike vaporflys are super popular. There are usually limits on stack height for many marathons though.
Re: Sawe becomes first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race
#117Wait two runners beat it in the same race? Was there perfect conditions.or something? Insane you could run 1:59:41 and not win!
Weather and course conditions were good but not perfect. There is potential to take a few more seconds off the world record in slightly colder conditions and on a course with fewer turns. I wouldn't be surprised to see someone run 1:58 in the next few years.
This is probably right. We’ll also see at least five unique sub-2s before the end of 2027.
Re: Sawe becomes first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race
#118Re: Sawe becomes first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race
#119Kipchoge broke 2h a few years ago, but it was on a closed, low altitude track, with a fleet of rotating runners in front of him, providing wind blocking/drafting as well as pacing
Amazing these guys did it in a real race with no one in front of them (at the end at least)
Re: Sawe becomes first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race
#120And the only place this appears on ESPN is if you click on "Olympics," which has nothing to do with this race. Where coverage should be: on the home page.
It’s certainly noteworthy and interesting but I could see how Running as sport isn’t popular enough for front page. Especially during NBA and NHL playoffs, NFL draft, and whatever else might be going on.