Human Centipede runs Bay 2 Breakers 12k in 37 flat

Wasn't that Principal Skinner's real name?

More like drag queens. It being in SF and all...

hypnotoad wrote:

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.

I had the same thought and found the KP Half photos of Armen here:

which clearly is the same finish that is shown on Linkedin labeled as B2B.

The danger of the horseshoe formation is what the Transports experienced in 2009. With their weakest runner at the base of the "U", and poor communication up front, they literally fell apart after dragging their struggling runner on his back until the bungee cords pulling him snapped, leaving the guy bloody on the ground.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/63059581@N08/5730211643/in/photostream

The zig-zag pattern has proven to be successful over the last few years for many teams.

Don't you need 50 people to make a centipede?

How are the centipedes accomodated at the start? Is there a separate corrale for them or are tehy just intermingled with the rest of the start? Are team members lined up single file? Do they have their own wave? Seems like it could get pretty harry at the start.

The seeded centipedes start single file with the other seeded runners, typically with their first runner on the line. Since the men are normally out in under 5:00 pace it's not as much of an issue for them, however, the ladies can really run into trouble. They find themselves weaving in and out of the runners that take off much quicker than they can handle and occasionally are sideswiped and broken in two by various spectators that charge the field in a "running with the bulls" type effort.

So is this guy really talking about being an Olympian with a 1:05 PR for a 1/2 marathon?

I'd peg him in for a 2:15 marathon, good enough for the A or B standard and I'm willing to bet Armenia doesnt have any other distance runners

gopshite wrote:

Wasn't that Principal Skinner's real name?

LOL! I forgot about that episode. I think it was Armen Tanzarian or something like that.

As seen on TV! wrote:

So is this guy really talking about being an Olympian with a 1:05 PR for a 1/2 marathon?

Maybe he's trying to make the Olympics in the tri.

Or maybe he's got citizenship from a small european country who doesn't have anyone else to send...

Any photos executing the Lenichi turn?

Also you combine centipede racing with a beer mile and you have some great potential.

armenian power wrote:

Or maybe he's got citizenship from a small european country who doesn't have anyone else to send...

Good for him. Then he'd be stupid not to go. I'd do the same.

As seen on TV! wrote:

So is this guy really talking about being an Olympian with a 1:05 PR for a 1/2 marathon?

I think he's trying to make it for Armenia or some other country outside of the US. It said on the blog.

True story, I was raving about the centipede today to the guy I run with. He was aware of what the centipede was and said, "Centipedes are for *****"

I then told him the centipede ran sub 5 minute pace the whole way and he shut up and gave them the respect they deserved. He was super impressed.

Wejo, I think they deserve a feature story. Folks in SF are aware of these centipedes and while they've never broken 5 mins/mi. they've been beating the female winning times for quite some time and local runners and spectators give them the respect they deserve. It seems that outside of the Bay Area this is a pretty unknown phenomenon.

Stir the pot a bit. Would be nice to see some real competition for the title. A Hansons centipede next year?

random a hole wrote:

Any photos executing the Lenichi turn?

Also you combine centipede racing with a beer mile and you have some great potential.

Beer 12K, beer mile is for wimps. I have pictures of an Aggies pede toeing the line at B2B with beer bottles under the banner. Sad the Ethiopian bar at 4 miles with 13 stools closed.

The centipede exists because none of us locals in the Bay Area could legitimately compete with the world-class runners who show up for Bay to Breakers. So we created a centipede so we could have our own victory dance and make it a fun event. It's too bad Linked In jumped the shark and flew in a bunch of mercenaries from all over. When the centipede was started I think the spirit of the centipede was to see how guys and girls from ONE running club would fare in the race, not an all-star team. Oh well c'est la vie.

hypnotoad wrote:

Wejo, I think they deserve a feature story. Folks in SF are aware of these centipedes and while they've never broken 5 mins/mi. they've been beating the female winning times for quite some time and local runners and spectators give them the respect they deserve. It seems that outside of the Bay Area this is a pretty unknown phenomenon.

Stir the pot a bit. Would be nice to see some real competition for the title. A Hansons centipede next year?

Not sub-5, but getting 13 guys (and gals) healthy on the same day that can run sub-40 or sub-50 for a 12K is no small feat.