When did a 3-hour marathon become something to brag about?

Edit wrote:

I pulled a 3 hour marathon with your mom and bragged for a week.

Win

Congratulations. My mom is 87 years old.

The day after I did it!

Yes, I gave myself one day to tell basically everyone I knew that I ran a marathon under 3 hours. I never brought it up ever again (unless on letsrun!!)

I was a 34 yo woman that had trained a solid 80 mpw for a year (averaged 90 for 6 weeks in training) and was full-on crazy obsessed with going under 3. Really, in my whole life I don't think I was ever so focused on one thing, one event, for just about a year. I don't think running a sub 3 is the fastest thing in the world and I wish I were much faster, but for me it was a pretty big deal... And sorry to inform all you fast letsrunners, other people did seem impressed.

It's a round number. Why was the four-minute mile a big deal? Sub-13 5000m? Sub-27 10,000m? Will the first 2-hour marathon be a big deal?

Never a need to *brag* about any of those. Let your running speak for itself.

G5 wrote:

When did a 3-hour marathon become something to brag about?

When did posting your stupidity for all to see become the thing to do?

Beavus wrote:

Edit wrote:

I pulled a 3 hour marathon with your mom and bragged for a week.

Win

G5.. wrote:

Congratulations. My mom is 87 years old.

That "win" was called too soon.

I am going to have to call it a loss if he banged his 87 year old mother.

toro wrote:

Beavus wrote:

Win

G5.. wrote:

Congratulations. My mom is 87 years old.

That "win" was called too soon.

I am going to have to call it a loss if he banged his 87 year old mother.

Wrong. Double win.

I ran 2:59 in my first ever marathon, I'm embarrassed that I didn't go faster.

G5 wrote:

When did a 3-hour marathon become something to brag about?

Totally agree. In fact, even a 2:20 marathon is not something worth bragging about. Hundreds of Kenyans school kids get up out of bed everyday and run a 2:20 as a training run.

My PR is 2:18 but I don't feel even that's worth bragging about.

2:18 marathoner wrote:

Hundreds of Kenyans school kids get up out of bed everyday and run a 2:20 as a training run.

hahahahaha.....no they don't

Agree with the double win.

As for the OP.

It's typical let's run envy calling out 3:00 marathoners who are proud of their accomplishment, simply due to the frustration that the general running community doesn't understand that you're better, or probably more accurate, doesn't care.

Are you really mad that they're bragging about running 3 hours, or are you pissed that they aren't touting your horn because you're faster and you want them to know it.

It's the same reason why the racing community hates Dean. We're frustrated that the general running community buys into the hype when they don't have the context to understand what a joke he is when compared to the real deal.

When you look at it objectively, a 3 hour marathon is pretty respectable when compared to the entire pool of running. When compared to competitive subset, it's like breaking 5 minutes in the mile your freshman year of high school, it's exciting, but you know there's a long way to go before you're considered good.

I don't card them.

Anything under a larger number is something to break about. Breaking a 6 min mile, 5 min mile, 4 min mile. All very different but bragable all the same.

G5 wrote:

When did a 3-hour marathon become something to brag about?

It is not something to brag about if you are a former high school or college track/cc runner with a distance runner's build.

It is a very big deal, truly something to brag about if you have an average to large frame, some muscle on that frame and were more suited to play football, hockey or rugby.

Look at the results of most major marathons, sub-3:00 is usually in the top 5-10% of finishers. A solid, dependable standard.

DCal wrote:

toro wrote:

That "win" was called too soon.

I am going to have to call it a loss if he banged his 87 year old mother.

yes, double win! that's like banging 2 43.5 year old moms.

Wrong. Double win.

set thar n watch wrote:

Sub 3:00 at 50 is a very respectable goal. STILL not elite but solid.

Yes!

if you are engaged in a profession, have a family, and run 3 or under it's pretty damn impressive in my book

many more folks could break into an elite level if they had the time so dont try and disparage other's efforts because you dont know what their commitments are

2:18 marathoner wrote:

My PR is 2:18 but I don't feel even that's worth bragging about.

Yet...It is your screen name.

And around 200 Kenyans break 2:20 every year...However, they are not children, and they do not do it every day running to school.