4 ms·

Feel a bit bad for Yomif Kejelcha who also broke the 2-hour mark, with this being his first competition marathon, but managed to neither break a record nor win.

MengerSponge 5mo ago
Real "Bad Luck Brian" energy https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bad-luck-brian https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bad-luck-brian
parsimo2010 5mo ago
While that seems like a bummer, as long as he doesn't quit he'll have many more chances to set the record himself.
darth_avocado 5mo ago
While I know competitors want to always strive to be the best, as a completely normal human who struggles to complete a half marathon under two hours, I do not feel bad for the guy. He’s still one of the only two people to do it (outside of the very controlled run from Kipchoge). Not a feat to feel bad about at all.
- cflewis 5mo ago
  The majority of people in the world cannot complete a half marathon, let alone under two hours. I was pleased to train enough that I managed under three. You're doing great!
  - gregdeon 5mo ago
    Sub 3 is incredible, congrats!
  - sayamqazi 5mo ago
    half marathon is ~20 KM its pretty sad that a large percentage of people cant do that. One can simply walk that much distance wihtout any prior training.
    - ordu 5mo ago
      You can walk it in under 4 hours. I can do it, but I can't run that much, my calves are just not trained for aerobic workloads. I don't run normally, I walk or cycle, but do not run.
    - estomagordo 5mo ago
      I am sure the poster meant running. Of course people can walk. That's not much of an achievement, unless you're geriatric.
  - BrandoElFollito 5mo ago
    A majority of people won't run 1 km without needing a rest afterwards. There were recent tests (in France I think) in schools where 50% or something could not run 1 km (sorry I don't have the details on mobile). These are children who have infinity energy (source: parent). A typical adult won't make it to 1km (source: going back to sport and dying on a 2.5 km run)
    - rsynnott 5mo ago
      > A typical adult won't make it to 1km (source: going back to sport and dying on a 2.5 km run) I'm... dubious of this. At 39 I started running, for the first time in my life, ran 5km, didn't actually die, and went from there. I'd think most adults could manage 1km, anyway.
      - BrandoElFollito 5mo ago
        This really depends on people and your surroundings (I mean the kind of environment you live in, including the country) I used to play volleyball a lot at the university, and then at a business league (we were horrendous, but anyway :)). Then I travelled a lot and let myself go. So I started to commute to the office by bike, about 15 km each way, 5 days a week for two years. I had a puncture and decided to run the remaining distance (about 2 km) because I was late. After 500 m my lungs were on fire. 55 now, I restarted this year sport to do the smallest existing triathlon. I was already biking a bit and "just" have to do the swimming and running. I am at my 10th or so run of 2.5 km (I try to do it 2 times a week) and I am dying several times on the way. The fact I make it back home is religiously miraculous. I am not an athlete, far from this. I am not the extreme obese either. I am somewhere in between, like are most of the people I know (of different ages). I do not see them running 1 km strong (let's say right above trotting) Ah - and I did the whole battery of medical tests to make sure that I will not literally die when training. I am in a very good shape, heart wise.
- potamic 5mo ago
  There is the silver medal syndrome.
Aurornis 5mo ago
I'll admit I'm not familiar with running, but in other sports it's not uncommon for amazing early career athletes to hold back a little bit on their first attempts. It's easier to draw attention (and therefore sponsorships) if you leave some room to improve on successive attempts. It's riskier to give everything up front and then risk plateauing or regressing in your subsequent attempts.
nerdsniper 5mo ago
3rd place runner also set a new world record, but just didn't break the 2-hour barrier.
glenngillen 5mo ago
But he has the best average time of any competitor in the history of the event! ;)
dyauspitr 5mo ago
[dead]

MengerSponge 5mo ago

Real "Bad Luck Brian" energy https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bad-luck-brian https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bad-luck-brian

parsimo2010 5mo ago

While that seems like a bummer, as long as he doesn't quit he'll have many more chances to set the record himself.

darth_avocado 5mo ago

While I know competitors want to always strive to be the best, as a completely normal human who struggles to complete a half marathon under two hours, I do not feel bad for the guy. He’s still one of the only two people to do it (outside of the very controlled run from Kipchoge). Not a feat to feel bad about at all.

cflewis 5mo ago
The majority of people in the world cannot complete a half marathon, let alone under two hours. I was pleased to train enough that I managed under three. You're doing great!
- gregdeon 5mo ago
  Sub 3 is incredible, congrats!
- sayamqazi 5mo ago
  half marathon is ~20 KM its pretty sad that a large percentage of people cant do that. One can simply walk that much distance wihtout any prior training.
  - ordu 5mo ago
    You can walk it in under 4 hours. I can do it, but I can't run that much, my calves are just not trained for aerobic workloads. I don't run normally, I walk or cycle, but do not run.
  - estomagordo 5mo ago
    I am sure the poster meant running. Of course people can walk. That's not much of an achievement, unless you're geriatric.
- BrandoElFollito 5mo ago
  A majority of people won't run 1 km without needing a rest afterwards. There were recent tests (in France I think) in schools where 50% or something could not run 1 km (sorry I don't have the details on mobile). These are children who have infinity energy (source: parent). A typical adult won't make it to 1km (source: going back to sport and dying on a 2.5 km run)
  - rsynnott 5mo ago
    > A typical adult won't make it to 1km (source: going back to sport and dying on a 2.5 km run) I'm... dubious of this. At 39 I started running, for the first time in my life, ran 5km, didn't actually die, and went from there. I'd think most adults could manage 1km, anyway.
    - BrandoElFollito 5mo ago
      This really depends on people and your surroundings (I mean the kind of environment you live in, including the country) I used to play volleyball a lot at the university, and then at a business league (we were horrendous, but anyway :)). Then I travelled a lot and let myself go. So I started to commute to the office by bike, about 15 km each way, 5 days a week for two years. I had a puncture and decided to run the remaining distance (about 2 km) because I was late. After 500 m my lungs were on fire. 55 now, I restarted this year sport to do the smallest existing triathlon. I was already biking a bit and "just" have to do the swimming and running. I am at my 10th or so run of 2.5 km (I try to do it 2 times a week) and I am dying several times on the way. The fact I make it back home is religiously miraculous. I am not an athlete, far from this. I am not the extreme obese either. I am somewhere in between, like are most of the people I know (of different ages). I do not see them running 1 km strong (let's say right above trotting) Ah - and I did the whole battery of medical tests to make sure that I will not literally die when training. I am in a very good shape, heart wise.
potamic 5mo ago
There is the silver medal syndrome.

Aurornis 5mo ago

I'll admit I'm not familiar with running, but in other sports it's not uncommon for amazing early career athletes to hold back a little bit on their first attempts. It's easier to draw attention (and therefore sponsorships) if you leave some room to improve on successive attempts. It's riskier to give everything up front and then risk plateauing or regressing in your subsequent attempts.

nerdsniper 5mo ago

3rd place runner also set a new world record, but just didn't break the 2-hour barrier.

glenngillen 5mo ago

But he has the best average time of any competitor in the history of the event! ;)

dyauspitr 5mo ago

[dead]