Official 2023 Boston Marathon Live Discussion and Updates Thread

If he’s a retired hockey player is he just a towering hobby jogger?

All kidding aside it’s very impressive. What did he do take 5 steps?

Although I generally agree, there are factors that affect strategy. First, note that the half split is misleading, since you have so much downhill and today at the start there was not much wind while it might have been more of an issue later. A marathon race is a gamble and the rewards are highly skewed so trying to run somewhat faster in hopes that it is your 'day of days' is a risky but not stupid strategy (plus running alone on a day that was expected to be a headwind might play into the strategy).

A comment about Wind: Official readings (and forecasts) are for 10 meters (33ft) above the ground. Ground-level winds are slower by a fair bit. When they adjusted the Wind Chill calculation about 15 years ago they main reason is that they did experiments to determine the wind at 1 meter for given winds at 10 meters. That change reduced the calculated effect of wind.

Wasn’t Eliud’s day. I’m shocked. Not shocked about Obiri though. She’s just proving how amazing she is.

Regarding Obiri, her first WC (outdoor) medal was in 2013 when she finished 3rd in the 1500 behind Jenny Simpson. How many other major marathon winners have also won a WC or Oly medal in a mid-distance event on the track?

That is super impressive. Most hockey players get so beat up, I'd be amazed at any of them who could finish a 10k or longer -- let alone a 3:38 marathon at age 46 for a massive 6'9" dude. It'd be interesting to know how fast he could have run 15 years ago and being a well-trained, slimmed down version of himself.

What is the Masters marathon record for runners 6'9" or taller? LOL

Just saw footage of him finishing. He looks muscular, but relatively lean ... maybe 230-240?

Do you think she runs another marathon this year? Going Worlds, Boston, Chicago, Trials back to back to back to back is risky.

Kipchoge didn't win, but he ran under 210, a time that is good enough to win quite a few major marathons.

So the question in my mind, was Kipchoge serious about running this race to win or using Boston as a training run and getting paid to show up and just run a respectable time. Mission accomplished.

Could kipchoge have won on this day if he wanted to? Yes. All the evidence proves that he is the best if not best runner in the world.

I personally think that kipchoge is focused on some last major races before his career ends. What would be more fitting than to end your legendary career in Paris. I wish Kipchoge another Gold.

When you only race a couple times per year, I don’t think you typically train through any…

I think she will be fine. Knock on wood, she has always been very smart about avoiding major injuries. She had a little niggle during this Boston build and severely took her mileage down for 2 weeks before she ramped back up and clearly was in great form today.

So I come to the conclusion that Kipchoge used the Boston Marathon as a training run. In the pantheon of marathon races, Boston is far removed from the way marathon races are designed. Most marathon races are designed to be flat and fast. So kipchoge not coming away with a victory is due to the way the course is designed. It is unusual in that most of Kipchoges records and wins are a direct result of the course design. So the loss doesn't come as any surprise at all.

He used the Boston Marathon as a training run…Really?? Doesn’t make any sense.

Yup. Her versatility and talent just keeps going.

Interesting? No. It was predictable. It did make it hilarious though.

That was her first WC medal, but she played a major role in the 2011 final also. Obiri was the one who fell and took out Uceny with about 600 to go.

I have read women pace more evenly on these longer races, but I could be wrong.

Yeah that's not correct. Uceni tripped Obiri from behind and then fell over her. Uceni had a long history of trips and falls in 1500m races.

See the tripping at 2:25 in this video:

Uceny always seemed to fall easily. As did Mary Decker when she was next to other runners. Always a trip, kick or fall. I would love to see a race with the two of them next to each other. LoL.