October 12th, 2019 at 5:12 AM ^
Watched a bit of this tonight on the livestream with my 5 year old boy. I’ve got a bit of insomnia and he had a bad dream. Thanks for posting the earlier thread. It was pretty incredible to witness and a memory with my son I suspect I’ll recall fondly for years to come. First time the kid has shown any interest in athletics.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:21 AM ^
Absolutely incredible. And exactly the kind of athlete you hope achieves it.
October 12th, 2019 at 6:29 AM ^
I might be able to do a 5k in under 2 hours if I really pushed myself
October 12th, 2019 at 6:32 AM ^
If I trained hard, and had a great day, I might make about 13 miles in 2 hours. I cant envision much more than that.
October 12th, 2019 at 10:05 AM ^
I'm with you! When I trained for Tri's, 13 miles in 2 hours might as well been the 4 minute mile barrier for me. A marathon in under 2 hours, that is amazing...
October 12th, 2019 at 8:49 AM ^
As long as there is a beer tent along the way, I could probably do that with you
October 12th, 2019 at 9:23 AM ^
Come to grand rapids for the riverbank run. I do it just for the beer.
October 12th, 2019 at 8:50 AM ^
Logged in just to upvote.
October 12th, 2019 at 11:23 AM ^
I think I could get it done if one of you pushed myself. (That is to say, I have a skateboard, and I’d need someone to push me for 26 miles)
October 12th, 2019 at 6:35 AM ^
Remarkable achievement. While not a worlds record because of the non-race setting and all the pacing aids, it is still a human achievement on par with Roger Bannister’s strapping on old school spikes and chugging around the Isley Road track for the first sub-4:00 mile. Once done, the psychological barrier is broken. I wonder how long it will take for runners to get up heartbreak hill and finish a Boston Marathon in under two hours.
October 12th, 2019 at 8:09 AM ^
That actually is a great question. He was so close in Berlin, and Kenenisa Bekele almost broke the record this year in Berlin.
October 12th, 2019 at 8:18 AM ^
It will never happen at Boston unless there is a 50 mph wind out of the sw that day. 2:07 is a good time on a typical day there and 2:03ish is the record on a day similar to what I described above. London and Berlin are the most likely courses we will ever see a sub 2 and I'd say 50/50 it ever happens in my lifetime. I wish Kipchoge had chosen to attempt this at one of those races instead of this engineered time trial.
October 12th, 2019 at 9:10 AM ^
The point was just too show that a human can run the distance in the two hours and break that barrier. To give him the best shot they needed to control everything they could.
It'll be a massive deal the first time someone does it in competition too, if it ever happens.
October 12th, 2019 at 9:47 AM ^
I get that, it's a great human achievement. But for all that discussion road racing and marathons (which aren't typically run on tracks or sterile environments) are sports. I think its hard for some people (myself included) to really be 100% ok separating those two things. I see the achievement taken out of its usual context and have some issues with it. Or at least with people unwilling to recognize that the context matters.
Most people watch the home run derby and can acknowledge that these guys are awesome hitters and most people understand that the conditions they see in that event aren't close to typical in a regular baseball game. If I'm a world class hitter and know I'm getting a 70 mph fastball I'm probably going to mash it. That's all I'm trying to point out with this event.
October 12th, 2019 at 10:42 AM ^
Awful analogy completely awful. I can tell you've never been a distance runner in your life. Not even close to whats going on here. If you wanted to make a baseball comparison than you'd say its like doing a HR derby with 95 MPH fastballs with the exception you know its always going to be a fastball and the placement of the ball is hyper consistent matched up in the best spot for your swing. With that said it still doesn't really compare that well. He still ran 26.2 miles, he ran a marathon race in Berlin with a difference between the race marathon time and the sub 2 mark by a difference of 119 seconds.
He's not playing HR derby. He still ran 26.2 miles there isn't another proper comparison.
October 12th, 2019 at 10:49 AM ^
I'm sorry the analogy was imperfect for your liking. I am and have been a distance runner, a fairly accomplished one nowhere in the stratosphere of what Kipchoge is, however. His greatest career accomplishment for me is his 2:01:39 in Berlin last year. Sorry my take on this bothers you so much. Edit: I actually think it is great you are an avid runner and an enthusiastic supporter of distance running. The United States should be able to compete regularly on the global stage in World Marathons but on the whole we don't seem to have a lot of interest in the sport. Maybe I should be more enthusiastic about this accomplishment if I believe that. Any interest is good interest, right?
October 12th, 2019 at 11:22 AM ^
Which is what the record books reflect as well. I won't fault you for that but you act like he had a jetpack on and this wasn't real. I don't see anyone else attempting this because they can't do it. There isn't another human on the planet who can.
October 12th, 2019 at 11:30 AM ^
See my edit above. But sorry this isn't necessarily true. Nike commissioned 2 other athletes to attempt the feat in the original version of this in Switzerland. They didn't necessarily have the life long accomplishments of Kipchoge, but they did attempt it. I would guess there are probably a half dozen male marathoners who are capable of the same accomplishment. Kimetto ran about a minute slower 5-6 years ago. That's not that far off to say there isn't another human who can accomplish this feat.
October 12th, 2019 at 6:39 AM ^
However, the record is not being officially recognized. He had a pace car and like 40 pace runners that let him know the pace and where he needed to be at all times. There was a laser that shot to where the runner should be and the route was made special for this event. It’s still a good time, but he did have help. That’s why they aren’t recognizing it officially. Almost like setting a treadmill and doing it on that.
October 12th, 2019 at 7:22 AM ^
That's okay, he still did it. If either of us stepped up on a treadmill, that pace would kill us dead within 20 minutes!
(Well, I don't know what you do for fun, but I don't run!)
October 12th, 2019 at 7:27 AM ^
What the hell you talking about 20 minutes? Two minutes, and you would have found my carcass at the foot of the treadmill.
October 12th, 2019 at 8:05 AM ^
Most every body you know would have trouble keeping that pace for much more than 20 seconds. That pace is a full on sprint speed for most people.
October 12th, 2019 at 8:24 AM ^
You think you can run a 4:34 mile pace for 20 minutes? The fastest I ever ran a mile in my life was in 9th grade at 5:07. I probably could've run a little faster if I had kept up with track the following years, but 4:34 is extremely fast. I still run regularly now and can't break 6:30 for a mile.
October 12th, 2019 at 9:03 AM ^
I ran a 6:54 mile on a treadmill the other day and I had to get out an AED and shock myself. Can't even begin to imagine running more than 1 mile at this pace. Really incredible.
October 12th, 2019 at 8:46 AM ^
The pacers, the course design, and all the other artificial components aren't event the biggest issues. In a sport where drug use is easily abused due to lengthy training cycles with little oversight, he should have voluntarily been tested - at least after the event as they do at major marathons.
October 12th, 2019 at 10:27 AM ^
Who cares about testing? You can train all you want and take all the EPO, IGF-1, steroids, coke, etc. and, if you don't die, you (or 99.99999999% of the world's population) won't be able to sniff that level of performance.
The point is that someone was able to do it. Period. Like the 1st guy to go up Everest, even with the help of Sherpas. It was shown to be doable and then a lot of other people started doing it too.
October 12th, 2019 at 11:27 AM ^
He and all the pacers were tested. Read the article.
October 12th, 2019 at 11:45 AM ^
AIU testing is standard, he was not tested after the event which is the norm. Notice the article doesn't say when they were tested. It was not part of this event but they are subject to a yearly test.
October 12th, 2019 at 9:17 AM ^
No, running on a treadmill is not the same as actually doing the running, no matter how many people are there alongside you.
October 12th, 2019 at 10:13 AM ^
This is 100% correct from a physics and physiology standpoint. The metabolic equivalent of actually running on flat ground is about the same as running on a 1% grade on a treadmill.
October 12th, 2019 at 7:22 AM ^
Amazing!
October 12th, 2019 at 7:33 AM ^
Impressive, but it will be even more impressive when he does it without a pace car etc in a regular race.
October 12th, 2019 at 8:05 AM ^
He set the world record in Berlin last year with a 2:01:39, so he’s really not that far off without the pacers. He even said it wasn’t a world record, he likened it to landing on the moon, because nobody thought this would ever be done.
October 12th, 2019 at 8:20 AM ^
I think there is a very good chance he’ll do it in a regular race now that he’s demonstrated that it’s possible.
October 12th, 2019 at 8:55 AM ^
He could possibly do it in a legitimate race, but conditions would have to be ideal and he has a narrowing window of opportunity age-wise as well. My guess is that the odds are 2 to 3 against it.
October 12th, 2019 at 9:50 AM ^
Anyone saying this isn't impressive because he had pacesetters hasn't done any sort of competitive running before. This is still unbelievably impressive
October 12th, 2019 at 7:57 AM ^
I love how all these people are on here like oh it’s not real he had pacers. LoL
Jealous much?
The guy still ran a sub two hour marathon. The pacers didn’t carry him or help him use his legs less or anything else.
No matter which way you slice it he ran 26.2 miles. As someone who’s run numerous marathons, IM’s and other races I’m pumped to see him do this.
October 12th, 2019 at 8:06 AM ^
As someone who is doing a marathon in this fall marathon season, I’m amped and ready to go
October 12th, 2019 at 8:11 AM ^
Good luck! The training is the tough part, enjoy the race
October 12th, 2019 at 8:42 AM ^
Yeah, but they wouldn’t be wrong to question whether the Vaporfly shoes made a difference.
Anything shoe a “plate” inside made to help spring forward is questionable. Kind if reminds me of the amputee running with the springs on his legs.
Yes, it’s cool that he broke 2 hours. But there are legitimate reasons why it’s unofficial.
October 12th, 2019 at 8:49 AM ^
Every company is following Nike in regards to the vaporfly, so it should even the odds some going forward
October 12th, 2019 at 9:07 AM ^
You mean the shoe I can go buy right now in the store? The same one everyone else has access to? Yes technology improves performance. If you wanna use this stance than we shouldn't count records for NFL they have better gloves, shoes, pads training techniques among others. Hockey shouldn't count because the equipment has greatly improved. All the other runners have access to the same tools as him. He can do it they cannot.
Don't give me that crap yes the other things help however he still ran a sub 2 hour marathon distance.
October 12th, 2019 at 9:53 AM ^
You do realize that most marathon racing shoes made by multiple companies have a spring plate in them these days, right? That's like saying you don't think someones record is legitimate because their shoes had foam cushioning and they didn't do it barefoot
October 12th, 2019 at 8:59 AM ^
I'm not jealous, he is an amazing athlete. Best marathoner ever, one of the best distance runners ever, one of the greatest athletes on the planet. It's still an engineered event to create the perfect environment for him to run sub 2. Both of those things can be true, right? We don't come on here and go crazy over how good Michigan looked in practice, oh wait...
October 12th, 2019 at 9:08 AM ^
If they scrimmaged Alabama every day 1's on 1's and whooped them you would.
October 12th, 2019 at 9:30 AM ^
Preach! These are the same non-athletes or jealous athletes who have to downplay achievements for others. These are the same people who only focus on the negative when the team wins 10 in a season.
As a distance runner who watches the Olympics mostly for running events, this is impressive. This is a huge feat—much more impressive than the crap that gets top billing headlines on sports sites.
Who gives a flying rat’s ass about Zion having an impressive preseason game dunking. How many people can dunk versus how many people can run one mile in 4:32, much less even two or...26.2!
October 12th, 2019 at 9:38 AM ^
Yeah, the key is he set out to do this, and accomplished it. I guess BPONE runs rampant in marathons too.
October 12th, 2019 at 11:26 AM ^
It's an amazing accomplishment, to be sure! That said, I watched his race, run on a very flat course, with several teams pacing him and acting as an echelon-style wind shield. Drafting behind those echelons alone saved him over a minute and a half according to best estimates:
https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20823445/does-drafting-help-in-running/
Excerpt: "...at 4:30 mile pace, drafting one meter behind another runner on a still day saves about 80% of the energy you'd otherwise spend fighting air resistance. That corresponds to about 1 second per 400 meters at that pace, and more on windy days."
Accordingly, 42,195 meters in a marathon divided by 400 meters equals 105 seconds.
October 12th, 2019 at 8:10 AM ^
Twice?
He ran the race then turned around and ran back a la Forest Gump.
October 12th, 2019 at 8:31 AM ^
It's not often I'm awed anymore.
I am AWED.