Eliud Kipchoge runs sub-2 hour marathon

[Lord Camomile]

I'm no great fan of the marathon as a race, but as a feat of human achievement this is right up there. No-one's ever done it before, some thought it couldn't be done. Phenomenal.

Eliud Kipchoge breaks two-hour marathon mark by 20 seconds

It won't go down as an official WR because of various athletics rules, such as it wasn't in open competition and he had pacemakers subbing in and out, but he already has the official record anyway

 

[Lord Camomile]

Unofficial time: 1:59:40

 

[ffsear]

Amazing, just watched. And hes still running around after the finish line!!

 

[Lord Camomile]

This was the video that alerted me to the attempt, and gives a good idea to how fast Kipchoge had to run to achieve this. He wasn't jogging!

 

[Saffy]

I just watched him finish too.
Such an amazing feat.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Genuinely got a bit emotional at the end. There's something about people running as hard as they can at the point of exhaustion that really gets to me, and with his team running behind him cheering him on...

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Astonishing.

it’s the equivalent of running a 17 second 100m, 422 times in a row.

Or for those of you that do the 5K park runs, it’s finishing in just over 14mins, 8 times back to back.

Bonkers

 

[JimW]

That's your name carved in history!

 

[Chilli.s]

What a record!

 

[Numbers]

Genuinely got a bit emotional at the end. There's something about people running as hard as they can at the point of exhaustion that really gets to me, and with his team running behind him cheering him on...

This for sure.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Call that a trophy??

 

[Lord Camomile]

 

[Numbers]

This was the video that alerted me to the attempt, and gives a good idea to how fast Kipchoge had to run to achieve this. He wasn't jogging!

That’s nuts. They make it look so easy, the man wasn’t even sweating.

 

[Lord Camomile]

That’s nuts. They make it look so easy, the man wasn’t even sweating.

Right?? I really appreciated that video because, as you say, they make it look easy, and you really can't quite appreciate the pace when everyone is doing it. But seeing it on the treadmill it's just... well, yeah, nuts

 

[Numbers]

Watching it I thought they could run faster

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

13mph for 26 miles is more than some people could manage on a bike, never mind running

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Mind blowing. When I think I'm going quite quick I might just be running at half his speed. And I certainly couldn't keep it up for the that distance.

 

[JimW]

Mind we'd beat him in our electric three wheelie no problem, so long as I remembered to charge it up the night before.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Wh

What a photo

 

[Maggot]

What an amazing achievement!

Up there with the first sub 4 minute mile.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Right?? I really appreciated that video because, as you say, they make it look easy, and you really can't quite appreciate the pace when everyone is doing it. But seeing it on the treadmill it's just... well, yeah, nuts

21kph. Your standard gym treadmill won't even go that fast.

 

[QueenOfGoths]

Amazing! Also the fact some really top distance runners helped him as pace makers.

I'm going to try and catch some of the coverage later as I was actually at Parkrun when I heard he'd achieved it. I was a lot slower paced

 

[Steel Icarus]

To put that in some of perspective, the fastest I ever got home from work (admittedly through a busy town but really going fast whenever I could) was eleven and a half minutes for three and a half miles. At that speed it would take me an hour and twenty five minutes to cycle a marathon. Man just ran it in one hour fifty nine minutes forty seconds. Fuck me.

 

[weltweit]

Impressive stuff, and he was still bouncy after the finish, it is a milestone I think.

 

[Glitter]

Astonishing.

it’s the equivalent of running a 17 second 100m, 422 times in a row.

Or for those of you that do the 5K park runs, it’s finishing in just over 14mins, 8 times back to back.

Bonkers

I’m doing a half tomorrow and I won’t be anywhere near his time for a full

Absolute legend!!

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

And a message to the keepers of records who say that this is not an official achievement:

 

[Lord Camomile]

And a message to the keepers of records who say that this is not an official achievement:

But that's the thing, innit? They have dominion over records that happen in their events, but doesn't negate the fact he ran 26.2 miles in 1:59:40, which is the fastest known by any human over that distance.

 

[Casual Observer]

By the looks of the progression of his normal marathon times since 2015 - those without drop in drop out pacemakers - I wouldn't be surprised if he goes under 2 hours in an official marathon in the next few years.

 

[Hollis]

I think that progression since 2016 is mainly down to advances in Nike shoe design.

 

[stavros]

What an amazing achievement!

Up there with the first sub 4 minute mile.

Is the four minute mile a big deal other than in the UK? The majority of the world doesn't recognise miles, plus it's not an Olympic distance.

I'm always puzzled by Jim Hines' breaking of the 10s barrier for 100m isn't more celebrated.