Human Centipede runs Bay 2 Breakers 12k in 37 flat

but, can the centipede run abreast? crab style?

You put your weakest guys in the middle, strongest on the ends, and then run in inverted arrow formation. That way the middle guys get maximum draft and drag.

If you look at the results (http://cdn.bazumedia.com/iframe/b2b2011-results.html), the 13 guys who finished at either 37:00 or 37:01 from San Mateo were part of the pede.

Not sure where the two guys who ended the race as floaters finished.

You can see in the photos below that the floaters are running besides the centipede, the weakest runner would typically be the first to get dropped.

More Photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/linkedin/sets/72157626734372572/

I am impressed by the Linked-In Pede since they broke the record by about 38 seconds, but I really have to give props to the Aggies in second place since they are a club team that sticks together year round versus a group of mercenaries.

The 37:55 time posted by the Aggies is nothing to scoff at. Congrats to both teams for putting together a solid race.

Nice one, Jefe. So which Aggie are you?

Yes, congrats to both teams for putting together a solid race and giving spectators more to watch at B2B than drunken jagaloons puking their way across San Francisco. I saw the teams at the beginning of the race and no offense to the Aggies, but they looked like kids who were just told that Santa isn't real when they saw what they were up against. Both teams had impressive rosters, but one team had to win and at the end of the day, it looks like the LinkedIn "mercenaries" spiked the ball, won the game, and went home to have sex with the prom queen...13 times.

I'm really impressed with this and interested in the logistics. Am I calculating this correctly 4:56 pace for 12 guys for 12k on a hilly course?

So does the first guy lead the whole time? And are the guys behind him always relaying up how the weak link is doing?

Also how firm is the connection between runners?

And an unrelated question. On this site

http://blog.linkedin.com/2011/05/16/linkedin-armen/

Armen is crossing the finishline crossing the tape celebrating by himself. Was he in his own race? It's not like he won the whole Bay to Breakers.

Sorry for all the questions.

That may be a good strategy for Jefe and the rest of the Aggies, but the LinkedIn team was stacked, each of these guys could probably hold their own. Below is what looked to be the roster.

Chavez, Chris

Vartanian,Armen

Shackleton, Drew

Serrano, Charlie

Grabow, Jimmy

Ghebray, Giliat

Ghebray, Yosef

Matusak, Mark

Greenless, Tommy

Davey, Neville

Sayenko, Mike

Anzuras, Marco

Shay, Stephan

You can't replace them from the stands, anyone swapping into the centipede would have had to have been running with them the whole way, so not exactly fresh. Plus, buckling in can take some effort and will slow you down a couple of seconds.

also, they don't really check on the length. I did it 5 years and they never checked us. Plus, the connectors can be bungee cords, so there is some stretch there.

Still, 37 flat is movin, those guys got it done!

There was actually a documentary made about their training, it's unconventional and highly controversial. Guess it worked. You can stream it on Netflix

http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Human_Centipede_First_Sequence/70123094?trkid=2361637

That picture of Armen breaking the tape is not from Bay to Breakers. Looks like the finish of the Kaiser Permanente Half which he won earlier in the year.

The picture of the team running is taken on the first mile and they appear to be running in a zigzag pattern here. But as the other poster said, they also sometimes run in a V shape depending on which runners may be struggling on the day. The rope is quite firm - bungy cords are not allowed.

Yep, you're right about the sub-5 pace. The course has one big hill but is otherwise fairly flat. They did have a light headwind, though.

[quote]Speedee wrote:

I ran the centipede at B2B two years--fastest at 38:10. BIG hill in the third mile, so a 37-flat is really incredible. No room for a bad day. Everyone's shouting at each other, hands on backs, trying to keep from tripping and running at full tilt. Our last guy tripped and fell just before the finish line and we dragged him about 20 feet before the whole pede came to a halt. Fun but really hard.[/quote

Probably not fun for the guy dragged 20 feet.

BTW I have never heard of this but it seems really cool. I think this could be an idea that could possibly revolutionize the sport of road racing. It seems like the team aspect of it could really appeal to the masses, sort of like the Team Time Trial of the TdF or sometihng. Very interesting and cool.

Congrads to the Linked In guys, they took down our CR and got the win, nice job. I will say we ran well. yes we had studs like Phil who ran 13:39 at Stanford a few weeks ago and 2:14 Sergio, but there was also guys who had no business running 5:03 pace. Guys like Leif Anderson who couldnt break 15:30 for 5k a month ago or JT who has a sub 15. From 2009. We lacked a bit of horsepower, but not heart.

The pede is a great team event and we're proud of how we did. We were there to start this event in the 80's with guys like Mark Schilling who just lost his conference 800m record from 1977 and we'll be there again in another 20 years. Here's a call out to the Asics Aggies Masters pede comprised of many of the original members who finished a good 20 minutes behind the open pede. That's the beauty in all of this, to be able to celebrate an event with your buddies 20 years afterwards with the new generation of guys way, way in front of you taking your place.

Nice work to all the members, you did very well.

Joe

Film Buff wrote:

There was actually a documentary made about their training, it's unconventional and highly controversial. Guess it worked. You can stream it on Netflix

http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Human_Centipede_First_Sequence/70123094?trkid=2361637

I second this recommendation, it's a fantastic film!

hypnotoad wrote:

The picture of the team running is taken on the first mile and they appear to be running in a zigzag pattern here.

That would seem to be the way to do it, zigzag to make two lines. To allow small adjustments without someone getting yanked forward or backward. It would seem like you could have your two replacement runners get out front of each line at some point to help take the lead.

They also have to do a Lincecum 360 or something weird at mile 6.

I beat the top seeded centipede one year at B2B. They were closing but then they did their last Lenici turn and I hung on. Individually they were all faster runners than myself but the Lenici turns (which were then mandatory)gave me an edge.

I wish I could be fit enough to race in one of these pedes, but unfortunately I am not.

As a spectator, the Linked-in pede was obviously stronger, and ran an amazing race. I know that the race is looking for a long term sponsor since ING is no longer ponying up the resources, so this year Zazzle, whom I had never heard of, sponsored the race. Since Linked-in is already using the race as an ad for their company, it would be awesome if they could do the city of SF a favor by sponsoring the race as well as their centipede since it sounds like the race could be dead after 100 years, and that would be a tragedy.