A substantial rumour out of Beaverton today is brewing that Kipyegon will be the star of a Nike Ineos/Breaking2 type scenario where male pacers will provide an environment for the first female sub4 mile. Further planning is of course subject to her performance over the next 8 weeks, but the event is loosely planned for late June/early July. Multiple venues are being considered, taking into account historically fast times at each specific location, weather at that point of the year (wind, etc), as well as the actual male pacers being organized for the attempt.
Note that Faith is opening her season at the China DL over 1000m.
This seems made up.
June 26 in Paris. Looks like they moved up their decision.
I would agree that it does. You don’t know me, and there’s no way for you to believe what I’m saying. However, I can assure you that this is completely serious. I know they have already approached some pacemakers as well in addition to the previous info given yesterday.
I absolutely believe this/you.
This is where Nike, despite finding a way to totally ruin their business over the last 3-4 years, has and will always be ahead of it's competitors when it comes to marketing ambition.
Easy to forget that 10-111 years ago, the sub 2 hour marathon was in general met with rolling eyes and scoffs. Kimetto had run 2.02.57 on the worlds fastest course in Berlin, with "BOOST" foam midsoled shoes and the concept and it had taken 16 years to take basically 3min off daCostas' 2.06.05. But Nike saw gains to be made in footwear, pacing and optimal racing surface. They also knew they had one of the alltime great distance running talents in Kipchoge who was really starting to hit his straps after moving to the marathon in 2013. So they invested in the Breaking 2 project and proved it could be done.
And they are always looking for moments like these and they need one. The timing and circumstances match up with 2016/17. Nike was losing market share to adidas because of the Ultraboost, slipping out of the forefront of peoples minds when it came to performance running (adi also had "held" the marathon WR since 2007 with Geb) and this changed that all. Same thing has happened now on a much bigger scale but its also no secret that Nike is full on investing back in the running category from EKINs, to product and activations, and something like this would be right on par with that strategy.
One thing Nike likes being is successful. The bones of the breaking 2 were there for a long time, they just wouldn't commit until they knew they had the athlete and it was possible. If Kipchoge had only run 2.02.30 at Monza they whole thing would have been perceived as a dramatic failure. I guess they would be really trying to see if this was possible with her. Like if you publicize this, put cash behind it, probably a new product etc etc and she goes out and runs 4.07.1 or maybe breaks the record by a second, it's cool - that would be I guess an "worlds best" performance - but that won't be good enough. I think running sub 4.04 would be seen as a pass, enough to show there was something in the idea/concept, but even that seems unlikely - that on it's own is a 1.4% drop. Not convinced a few male pacemakers are worth that much, christ.
Do you have any intel on a go/no-go for this?
The Nike marketing idiocy/lunacy and utter failure of sub-2 is the worst thing that has happened to our sport in a generation.
This is the WWE-XFLing of Olympic distance running. Comical cheater shoes and so many on-course aids that you may as well have been blowing an industrial fan at Kipchoge's back. "The bones of breaking 2" are as far off today as they were 10 years ago. Same goes for a sub 4 mile. Anyone paying attention to the sport knows that Kipchoge's world record is actually about a 2:03 effort. He didn't run 2:01 and he most certainly did not run 1:59. And the whole clownshow celebrating it as such is one of the most cringeworthy, embarrassing, nonserious, and corporately curated moments in professional sports history.
And then we get creatures like this poster celebrating these things as some seminal moment in marketing. Please, go back to the Nike intern's desk and stop promoting this sham on the message boards about a real sport.
No, it doesn’t kill the hype and it’s not too complicated for normies to understand. The bigger factor is that there isn’t much hype to distance running at all amongst normies because they just don’t care much about it.
Yes pro running is a niche sport that few people follow, but the INEOS 1:59 Challenge probably got more attention than any other running event the past decade. Search for it on YouTube and look at how many views the videos have:
INEOS 1:59 Challenge Live - 7.3 million views Eliud Kipchoge - The Final Kilometre of the INEOS 1:59 Challenge - 10 million views Eliud Kipchoge: My Sub 2 Hour Marathon (Documentary) - 939K views Scientists Told Him A Sub-2 Hour Marathon Was Impossible… - 6.1 million views 1:59:40! Kipchoge runs historic first sub-2 hour marathon | NBC Sports 1 million views Full race: Eliud Kipchoge makes history in Vienna winning under 2 hours 515k views How Eliud Kipchoge Ran a Sub 2 Hour Marathon - 10 million views Eliud Kipchoge 1:59:40 - Inspirational Video 2.9 million views HAIL THE KING: Eliud Kipchoge makes history 1.1 million views
If Kiplimo runs a sub-2 world record will it receive the same level of attention?
this is not a good thing. i mean this is like listing a bunch of youtube clips of ben johnson with red roid eyes running 100m records, or barry bonds cantelope-inflated head jacking 550 ft blasts. it's not the same sport, and it's even worse in the case of running because you're introducing a lot of people to it in this clownshow, corporate, non-serious way. if you really care about growing the sport, pump money and pacers and media attention into promoting legitimate, legal runs at world record times - no pacer lights on the track, no industrial fans, no special cheater shoes and no special courses. just humans using everything in their physical power to reach new heights - that's what our sport is about. promote that.
The power to overcome air resistance increases with velocity cubed. Thus, drafting effects are substantially greater at faster running speeds (i.e. 4 min mile (6.7 m/s) > 2 hour marathon (5.85 m/s)).
So does this mean Jakob with pacemakers would run 3:24 in Paris?
The power to overcome air resistance increases with velocity cubed. Thus, drafting effects are substantially greater at faster running speeds (i.e. 4 min mile (6.7 m/s) > 2 hour marathon (5.85 m/s)).
So does this mean Jakob with pacemakers would run 3:24 in Paris?
Wouldn't be more like 3.20 and a 3.37 mile based on these equations? That's a 3% improvement on his current PRs - same as the claim for Kipyegon. Also given his size (he's much bigger) wouldn't the science suggest he benefits even more?
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In which world is Kipyegon possibly clean? You all cry out about Hull and Bell being "mega dopers" yet Kipyegon beats them by large margins, is seconds ahead of EVERYONE else but claim that she is clean whilst those she beats aren't?
Interesting discussion—having male pacers like Jakob, Nuguse, Kerr, and Hocker could definitely help target the elusive sub-4:00 mile for Kipyegon. Kerr’s early pace is ideal, but you're right: sustaining it through the middle two laps without overreaching will be the challenge.
In which world is Kipyegon possibly clean? You all cry out about Hull and Bell being "mega dopers" yet Kipyegon beats them by large margins, is seconds ahead of EVERYONE else but claim that she is clean whilst those she beats aren't?
Interesting discussion—having male pacers like Jakob, Nuguse, Kerr, and Hocker could definitely help target the elusive sub-4:00 mile for Kipyegon. Kerr’s early pace is ideal, but you're right: sustaining it through the middle two laps without overreaching will be the challenge.
It’ll also be fascinating to see how the tactics play out—whether Kipyegon prefers even pacing or a slightly faster first 800m to bank some time. With the right conditions and consistent pacemaking, she’s shown she can close incredibly strong, so that last 400m kick could make the difference in breaking through the barrier.
This post was edited 51 seconds after it was posted.
Interesting discussion—having male pacers like Jakob, Nuguse, Kerr, and Hocker could definitely help target the elusive sub-4:00 mile for Kipyegon. Kerr’s early pace is ideal, but you're right: sustaining it through the middle two laps without overreaching will be the challenge.
It’ll also be fascinating to see how the tactics play out—whether Kipyegon prefers even pacing or a slightly faster first 800m to bank some time. With the right conditions and consistent pacemaking, she’s shown she can close incredibly strong, so that last 400m kick could make the difference in breaking through the barrier.
A substantial rumour out of Beaverton today is brewing that Kipyegon will be the star of a Nike Ineos/Breaking2 type scenario where male pacers will provide an environment for the first female sub4 mile. Further planning is of course subject to her performance over the next 8 weeks, but the event is loosely planned for late June/early July. Multiple venues are being considered, taking into account historically fast times at each specific location, weather at that point of the year (wind, etc), as well as the actual male pacers being organized for the attempt.
Note that Faith is opening her season at the China DL over 1000m.
This sounds really exciting! If everything comes together with the pacing and conditions, Faith could make history — I’ll be watching her season closely starting in China.
This post was edited 29 seconds after it was posted.