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Given that "[i]t will not be recognised as the official marathon world record because it was not in open competition and he used a team of rotating pacemakers,"

Given that "[i]t will not be recognised as the official marathon world record because it was not in open competition and he used a team of rotating pacemakers," Mr. Kipchoge's attitude represents the best of sport: "Now I've done it, I am expecting more people to do it after me... This shows the positivity of sport. I want to make it a clean and interesting sport. Together when we run, we can make it a beautiful world." An amazing boundary to breach.

peteretep 7y ago
> he used a team of rotating pacemakers Many of whom might be considered his competitors, too
- ABS 7y ago
  nit-picking but of all the pacers (40-ish) only 10 or so are (or were in their past) "marathoners" and none would be considered Kipchoge's competitors. If I remember correctly they all have PRs in the 02:05-02:10 range. Considering the required speed most pacers were 5000m and 1000m people
Rapzid 7y ago
I just formed my own officiating world record certification body called WASI; We All Saw It. WASI rejects who-evers claim to a monopoly on declaring who ran what, when, and where. WASI officially recognizes Elluid Kipchoge as the most badass marathon distance runner alive.
- y4mi 7y ago
  he's also the 'normal' marathon world champion. He just didn't exceed his own previous record with this because it didn't qualify in this category. You wouldn't allow a rocket propelled and self driving formel1 car into the same bracket as the normal league either.... Though the difference is significantly less here His achievements are listed on Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliud_Kipchoge https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliud_Kipchoge
  - wging 7y ago
    it's important to be precise: he is not the world champion. "world record holder" means something different. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_World_Athletics_Championships_%E2%80%93_Men%27s_marathon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_World_Athletics_Champions...
  - Rapzid 7y ago
    WASI recognizes Eliud Kipchoge's 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 40 seconds time as the current world record marathon distance running time.
    - radeklew 7y ago
      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.
      - Rapzid 7y ago
        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".
- eckza 7y ago
  I like this a LOT
- elliekelly 7y ago
  WeWork will try to trademark this Monday morning
philwelch 7y ago
Besides, he already has the official world record anyway. This was an experiment to see if it was possible to shave a couple dozen seconds off the marathon time of the greatest marathon runner of all time. Doing it again in race conditions—whether it’s by Kipchoge or another runner—will be a historic milestone but there is greater confidence that it will happen now. Besides, I know you can’t control for adrenaline and elation, but the fact that he picked up 10 seconds of pace at the end—when he was running only 10 seconds shy of 2 hours for the whole marathon—and then spent a good half hour running around and celebrating after he crossed the finish line might be a hint that we haven’t even found the real limits yet.
- Accacin 7y ago
  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.
  - jdietrich 7y ago
    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_record https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliud_Kipchoge#Competition_rec...
    - rawland 7y ago
      If I remember correctly, he is unbeaten since that moment in 2013.
    - kungito 7y ago
      How is marathon running more competitive field than football or American football or basketball?
antpls 7y ago
For the non-initiated among us, what does it mean to "use a team of pacemakers"? Why are those pacemakers that important?
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- fdanconia21 7y ago
  It's a group of runners there to keep up the running pace, to block wind and generally add morale. Over the duration of the attempt, runners will hop in and hop out of the run to keep the running pace alongside Kipchoge as well as block wind (a non-trivial factor) over 26.2 miles. Also, it is mentally boosting to have teammates and even competitors of his run along side him as he pushes his body and mind farther than he has ever had before.
- Someone 7y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drafting_(aerodynamics)#Running https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drafting_(aerodynamics)#Runnin...: ”Drafting behind another runner can conserve energy, although the effect is less than in cycling due to the fact that speeds are lower.” There also is a psychological effect. It is easier to keep a constant pace if there’s somebody in front of you that does it, too.
  - phkahler 7y ago
    So use an AR headset to put a virtual person in front of you keeping a constant pace?
    - tjr225 7y ago
      What possible benefit would AR provide in this situation?
      - michaelt 7y ago
        phkahler thinks if the record attempt is invalid because of the team of pace runners, why not use a simulated pace runner to gain the benefit without breaking the rule? Of course, if the speed benefit of pacing is down to psychology and camaraderie rather than purely information, a simulated pacer might not offer the same benefit.
m12k 7y ago
Reminds me of that adage: "There is nothing noble in being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your former self."
PossiblyKyle 7y ago
Back then people didn’t believe a four minute mile is possible, but after the barrier has been broken, dozens followed suit. In his eyes, his achievement is not the run, but breaking the barrier, and I appreciate him for that.
- zimpenfish 7y ago
  > after the barrier has been broken, dozens followed suit. I read an interesting article about that explaining that this wasn't really down to any kind of barriers but more having pacers and a better track (which is coincidentally about the previous 2h marathon attempt.) https://sportsscientists.com/2014/12/2-hour-marathon-4-min-mile/ https://sportsscientists.com/2014/12/2-hour-marathon-4-min-m...
  - buzzdenver 7y ago
    That, plus having enough time for a generation of runners to blossom after WW2.
- somberi 7y ago
  For an interesting read + obit of Roger Bannister, who first broke the 4-minute barrier: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/obituaries/roger-bannister-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/obituaries/roger-banniste...
- sopooneo 7y ago
  I often wonder in cases like that if those who followed suit were not so much emboldened as already nipping at the heels of the one who did it first. To mix metaphor with reality, there was perhaps a pack speeding toward the finish line, and one crossed it first.
  - laura2013 7y ago
    It's probably a mix of both. Surprisingly (to me), not many were able to break the sub 4min mile immediately after Bannister broke that record - Landy was the second to break the mark a month or so after but he was already working towards it. I read in the 20 year span after the record, only 300 runners were able to match the sub 4 feat.

peteretep 7y ago

> he used a team of rotating pacemakers Many of whom might be considered his competitors, too

ABS 7y ago
nit-picking but of all the pacers (40-ish) only 10 or so are (or were in their past) "marathoners" and none would be considered Kipchoge's competitors. If I remember correctly they all have PRs in the 02:05-02:10 range. Considering the required speed most pacers were 5000m and 1000m people

Rapzid 7y ago

I just formed my own officiating world record certification body called WASI; We All Saw It. WASI rejects who-evers claim to a monopoly on declaring who ran what, when, and where. WASI officially recognizes Elluid Kipchoge as the most badass marathon distance runner alive.

y4mi 7y ago
he's also the 'normal' marathon world champion. He just didn't exceed his own previous record with this because it didn't qualify in this category. You wouldn't allow a rocket propelled and self driving formel1 car into the same bracket as the normal league either.... Though the difference is significantly less here His achievements are listed on Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliud_Kipchoge https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliud_Kipchoge
- wging 7y ago
  it's important to be precise: he is not the world champion. "world record holder" means something different. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_World_Athletics_Championships_%E2%80%93_Men%27s_marathon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_World_Athletics_Champions...
- Rapzid 7y ago
  WASI recognizes Eliud Kipchoge's 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 40 seconds time as the current world record marathon distance running time.
  - radeklew 7y ago
    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.
    - Rapzid 7y ago
      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".
eckza 7y ago
I like this a LOT
elliekelly 7y ago
WeWork will try to trademark this Monday morning

philwelch 7y ago

Besides, he already has the official world record anyway. This was an experiment to see if it was possible to shave a couple dozen seconds off the marathon time of the greatest marathon runner of all time. Doing it again in race conditions—whether it’s by Kipchoge or another runner—will be a historic milestone but there is greater confidence that it will happen now. Besides, I know you can’t control for adrenaline and elation, but the fact that he picked up 10 seconds of pace at the end—when he was running only 10 seconds shy of 2 hours for the whole marathon—and then spent a good half hour running around and celebrating after he crossed the finish line might be a hint that we haven’t even found the real limits yet.

Accacin 7y ago
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.
- jdietrich 7y ago
  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_record https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliud_Kipchoge#Competition_rec...
  - rawland 7y ago
    If I remember correctly, he is unbeaten since that moment in 2013.
  - kungito 7y ago
    How is marathon running more competitive field than football or American football or basketball?

antpls 7y ago

For the non-initiated among us, what does it mean to "use a team of pacemakers"? Why are those pacemakers that important?

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
fdanconia21 7y ago
It's a group of runners there to keep up the running pace, to block wind and generally add morale. Over the duration of the attempt, runners will hop in and hop out of the run to keep the running pace alongside Kipchoge as well as block wind (a non-trivial factor) over 26.2 miles. Also, it is mentally boosting to have teammates and even competitors of his run along side him as he pushes his body and mind farther than he has ever had before.
Someone 7y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drafting_(aerodynamics)#Running https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drafting_(aerodynamics)#Runnin...: ”Drafting behind another runner can conserve energy, although the effect is less than in cycling due to the fact that speeds are lower.” There also is a psychological effect. It is easier to keep a constant pace if there’s somebody in front of you that does it, too.
- phkahler 7y ago
  So use an AR headset to put a virtual person in front of you keeping a constant pace?
  - tjr225 7y ago
    What possible benefit would AR provide in this situation?
    - michaelt 7y ago
      phkahler thinks if the record attempt is invalid because of the team of pace runners, why not use a simulated pace runner to gain the benefit without breaking the rule? Of course, if the speed benefit of pacing is down to psychology and camaraderie rather than purely information, a simulated pacer might not offer the same benefit.

m12k 7y ago

Reminds me of that adage: "There is nothing noble in being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your former self."

PossiblyKyle 7y ago

Back then people didn’t believe a four minute mile is possible, but after the barrier has been broken, dozens followed suit. In his eyes, his achievement is not the run, but breaking the barrier, and I appreciate him for that.

zimpenfish 7y ago
> after the barrier has been broken, dozens followed suit. I read an interesting article about that explaining that this wasn't really down to any kind of barriers but more having pacers and a better track (which is coincidentally about the previous 2h marathon attempt.) https://sportsscientists.com/2014/12/2-hour-marathon-4-min-mile/ https://sportsscientists.com/2014/12/2-hour-marathon-4-min-m...
- buzzdenver 7y ago
  That, plus having enough time for a generation of runners to blossom after WW2.
somberi 7y ago
For an interesting read + obit of Roger Bannister, who first broke the 4-minute barrier: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/obituaries/roger-bannister-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/obituaries/roger-banniste...
sopooneo 7y ago
I often wonder in cases like that if those who followed suit were not so much emboldened as already nipping at the heels of the one who did it first. To mix metaphor with reality, there was perhaps a pack speeding toward the finish line, and one crossed it first.
- laura2013 7y ago
  It's probably a mix of both. Surprisingly (to me), not many were able to break the sub 4min mile immediately after Bannister broke that record - Landy was the second to break the mark a month or so after but he was already working towards it. I read in the 20 year span after the record, only 300 runners were able to match the sub 4 feat.