Say what you will about the technology used, this is an amazing achievement.

[herr_oberst]

I'll agree that the methods and technology don't necessarily jibe with what many of us call sporting, but the result is still amazing - especially when you watch the guy on the treadmill demonstrating the pace needed.

Kipchoge beats the 2 hour barrier for the marathon.

(An amazing statistic from the video - over 1400 runners have beat the 4 minute mile including 10 high schoolers since Roger Bannister broke through the barrier in 1954)

[masraum]

a 4 min mile is amazing in its own right.

maintaining better than a 13mph pace for over 26 miles is also crazy.

[Bob Kontak]

Kipchoge still had spring in his step at the end. Shades of Secretariat. Gifted from birth with the right stuff.

I remember Jim Ryan the first high school student, running the sub 4:00 mile, mid 60's. That was hot news for me, a grade school kid.

[Bob Kontak]

It looks like the entire group broke 2:00 hours.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by masraum

maintaining better than a 13mph pace for over 26 miles is also crazy.

It’s amazing! I ran right around 4 hours. It gets mighty lonely out there after about 3 hours.

[aigel]

This is the fastest guy in the world and IMHO this was a stupid stunt for him to perform. 2 hours is the holy grail but only if you get there following the rules.

"That time doesn’t count for record purposes because standard competition rules for pacing and fluids weren’t followed." https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a20823734/these-are-the-worlds-fastest-marathoners-and-marathon-courses/

I can also run a sub 2 hour marathon. I decided to stop half way.

G

[Geronimo '74]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

It looks like the entire group broke 2:00 hours.
>

Is it the same group that started?
I think they switched during the run.
Could be mistaken but that’s what I’ve heard.

[aigel]

Originally Posted by Geronimo '74

Is it the same group that started?
I think they switched during the run.
Could be mistaken but that’s what I’ve heard.

Would be ridiculous if the pacers were running the full course as that would make them faster than Kipchoge. They feed in pacers and take them out. You can see it in the second posted video. Some do repeat duty, works because the course is a back and forth on the same avenue. So you may have the same mugs go through the finish line that left the start but they took a break and had others run in between.

G

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by aigel

This is the fastest guy in the world and IMHO this was a stupid stunt for him to perform. 2 hours is the holy grail but only if you get there following the rules.

"That time doesn’t count for record purposes because standard competition rules for pacing and fluids weren’t followed." https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a20823734/these-are-the-worlds-fastest-marathoners-and-marathon-courses/

I can also run a sub 2 hour marathon. I decided to stop half way.

G

I read the article. It didn't reference what rules he broke. In what way did he not follow the rules? "Pacing and fluids," what did he do wrong?

[Les Paul]

You’ve supposedly run a marathon and don’t know what rules he broke? JFC he was paced the entire race. He’s wearing vaporflys also called cheaterflys. And if you don’t think the Africans aren’t doped to the gills you don’t follow the sport.

[aigel]

Marathons are competitive road races and only sanctioned events will count towards a record. You can't run a marathon by yourself in your own event drafting your buddies that aren't running the full distance and aren't racing you.

Imagine someone rides the "Tour de France" in their own organized event, by themselves drafting his buddies who are only riding part of the distance. They would certainly be able to beat the best Tour race time, but they still would not be the winner of the Tour de France, because that is a sanctioned competitive event.

This article is pretty good:
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/10/kipchoges-sub-two-hour-marathon-how-legitimate-it/599974/

Now, I'd just be glad if I could finish one! If only my tendons and joints would hold up for me to run a marathon. I want to do it once in my life (jogging it, not walking). I have the discipline but not the legs ...

G

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Les Paul

You’ve supposedly run a marathon and don’t know what rules he broke? JFC he was paced the entire race. He’s wearing vaporflys also called cheaterflys. And if you don’t think the Africans aren’t doped to the gills you don’t follow the sport.

I have run marathons, but not at the elite level. Running a 9 minute mile pace I never even saw the the elite runners, let alone pay attention to what their rules were. Our rules are basically “stay on the course.” We can use whatever shoes we want and can run in paced groups if we want. I'm surprised that you are such an expert on marathons that you didn't know this.
Thanks for the information.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by aigel

Now, I'd just be glad if I could finish one! If only my tendons and joints would hold up for me to run a marathon. I want to do it once in my life (jogging it, not walking). I have the discipline but not the legs ...

It can be rough on your joints. I developed arthritis in my feet and had to quit. But it is a tremendous feeling of accomplishment to stick it out for 26.2 miles.

[sc_rufctr]

Regardless of the tech or alleged cheating Eliud Kipchoge (@34 years old) did the work required to break 2 hours!
(It's getting harder all the time to be a successful drug cheat)

Now that the 2 hour barrier has been breached how long before we see similar performances in the Olympics or world championships?
I predict "not for decades" because of the conditions, track etc.

[GH85Carrera]

On May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute barrier, running the distance in 3:59.4. No woman has done it yet or even broken 4:10.

No one would have believed it was even possible to keep up that pace for an entire marathon back then.

So I do understand the significance of the achievement, but I wonder how long it will be before anyone can do it in a competitive sanctioned event. The record for an olympic marathon is 2:06:32.

So that Olympic record holder is a mile and a half back when Eliud Kipchoge crossed the line. That is amazing.

[cmccuist]

A 2:06 time translates to a 4:47 mile pace! You gotta wonder what the limits to the human body are.

[Les Paul]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I have run marathons, but not at the elite level. Running a 9 minute mile pace I never even saw the the elite runners, let alone pay attention to what their rules were. Our rules are basically “stay on the course.” We can use whatever shoes we want and can run in paced groups if we want. I'm surprised that you are such an expert on marathons that you didn't know this.
Thanks for the information.

Good god 9 min pace. I wouldn’t brag about that. That’s jogging there bub. Let me guess you jogged your Mary with Oprah? And yea I’ve forgotten more about running than you could possibly comprehend. At best you were a hobby jogger. If you are so on top of running news what happened in Chicago Sunday?

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by Les Paul

Good god 9 min pace. I wouldn’t brag about that. That’s jogging there bub. Let me guess you jogged your Mary with Oprah? And yea I’ve forgotten more about running than you could possibly comprehend. At best you were a hobby jogger. If you are so on top of running news what happened in Chicago Sunday?

While there are some real ass holes on this forum, I think we can safely declare you today's "winner". I mean, c'mon - is this kind of childish nonsense really necessary?

[sc_rufctr]

When I was in the Army and 20 something I could run 5kms (3.10686 miles) in just under 19 minutes. (6.129 minutes per mile)

Certainly not Olympic standard but I was always one of the fastest runners in the Battalion.
A 4 minute mile would have been unthinkable at the time.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Les Paul

Good god 9 min pace. I wouldn’t brag about that. That’s jogging there bub. Let me guess you jogged your Mary with Oprah? And yea I’ve forgotten more about running than you could possibly comprehend. At best you were a hobby jogger. If you are so on top of running news what happened in Chicago Sunday?

Based on your comments on post #10 I was expecting something like this. You just sounded like the type.
I don't think you understand why most people run.
There were 50,000 or so runners in the New York marathon. Do you think they all expected to finish in the top 10?