4 ms·
Well the first 4-minute mile was achieved in a similar manner and for some reason it is well known in the popular imagination. To be honest I think these arbitr
by scabarott 7y ago
Well the first 4-minute mile was achieved in a similar manner and for some reason it is well known in the popular imagination. To be honest I think these arbitrary marks of achievement are all very artificial and more about good PR more than anything else. Personally I think the 2 hour marathon is slightly less arbitrary than the 4-minute mile but breaking it was only a matter of time.
- bainsfather 7y agoNo, it was a genuine race (the 'pacemakers' were also competing, were not lapped, and had to finish the race).
- evgen 7y agoThey completed the race (not hard to do when it is only a mile) but please do not try to suggest that Chataway or Brasher were in that race as anything other than designated pacesetters and windbreaks for Bannister.
- bainsfather 7y agoSure. But to pace Bannister on e.g. lap 3, his pacemaker had to run those 3 laps at wr pace. And Bannister had to run the final lap alone.
- gameswithgo 7y agothey did not have an suv to draft behind, and the pacers had to keep up from the start
- scabarott 7y agoThis doesn't make it any less artificial or arbitrary. The marathon is a different beast from the mile and it doesn't make much sense to compare two different eras.