20 seconds is not that big of a leap wrote:
World records have had pacers that are there to do the very same thing. Kipchoge ran 2:01:39 drafting off pacers. Bekele ran a 12:37 5k with pacers. Do they not count as world records?
Even without pacers one can draft off the competition. The time she ran is the time she ran.
Notice that you didn't say that Kipchoge's 1:59:40 is the world record. So you actually proved the point of other posters. In a "normal" race, Kipchoge ran a 2:01:39, which is a little slower.
I'm not trying to dump here but I don't get why people cannot admit that this set her up to run faster. So what? Look, I agree that her time is her time, she is a great runner, and this is a meaningful result.