Anyone knows?
Anyone knows?
I'm not sure, but, I believe I've heard somewhere about 20-30.
It's way more than that...probably more like 70
thtas like asking how many lakers fans are there in L.A.
I hate it when people say stuff like this, but I hate myself anyway so here goes.
2:08 is the new 2:10
id say more like 100+.
In 2008, there were 58 Kenyans who ran under 2:10.
there were 24 kenyans under 2:10 before todays marathon in the vienna marathons 2 kenyans went below 2:10 and in the turin marathon 1 did so at least 27, and maybe more depending on the other marathon results.
Gilbert Kipruto in his debut won Viena marathon in 2.08 earlier today.
another one in Turin marathon:-
Benson barus 2.09
whheaton wrote:
I hate it when people say stuff like this, but I hate myself anyway so here goes.
2:08 is the new 2:10
I agree. I just looked up the Paris results: 9 Kenyans (plus two Ethiopians and one Morrocan) under 2:10 - in a single race (!) Think about it: you run a 2:09 and finish outside the top 10. Crazy.
Rotterdam: 7 Kenyans (plus one Ethiopian) under 2:10.
I've read that Kenya has 30 men under 2:08, it probably has 100 under 2:10. A Kenyan coach told me 2 years ago that if a Kenyan sees that he cant break 2:10, he quits running.
The kenyan coach who told you that lied.Kenyans do not quit they carry on until either circumstances beat them or the odds are too great.I know of a marathoner called Paul Kiptanui who has been running since early 90s.He is probably 40 yrs old now but still trains with the young guys in eldoret and believes he can manage a 2.07/08 if he to race anytime soon.By the way Duncan Kibet in his first marathon ran 2.19 yet he did not give up.
not empirical wrote:
I'm not sure, but, I believe I've heard somewhere about 20-30.
THere is not way it can be 30.
Whereas I have no statistic, it is somewhere in the vicinity of 60 to 70 (different runners).
I think it's safe to say that 2:08 is, indeed, the new 2:10. But to me, 2:10 is still 2:10 and an amazing time. With this in mind, that's why I am curious to how many sub-2:10's Kenya currently have. I've noticed so many threads comparing the US to Kenya and how we're beginning to close the gap on the Africans. It seems to me that we are having a tremendous resurgence, in which I'm excited to be witnessing right now, but Kenya (not to mention Ethiopia and Eritrea and Uganda) also seems to be getting deeper and deeper as well, making it tougher and tougher to even be considered national class in Kenya, while being world class abroad from home. Imagine being on the board that had to select 3 or 4 to represent Kenya at the World Champs...that has to be a tough job for those guys.
We also have to keep in mind that most of these marathoners are from only a few tribes: Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Kisii, and maybe Luo (I'm really stretching that maybe on the Luo runners). We're talking about a population (runners and nonrunners included) of somewhere around 300-400,000 people with a small percentage who actually do consider running as a career. I'm not really sure what that number equates to, but I also think it's safe to guesstimate a number of less than 20,000 go on to try the running thing(you statistic folks feel free to chime in).
I guess my curiosity stems more from absolute amazement than to compare them to US marathoners and really gets me to thinking that maybe their "mentality" isn't the only difference between the East Africans and Europeans/Americans. Just maybe.
There are no LUO distance runners in kenya,you are right though about the kalenjin,Kisii and Kikuyu( mainly nyandarua kikuyus) and a few kambas.These communities tend to have adults with a small body frame so are suited to distance running,the Luos and the rest of the kenyan communities have adults with similar body frames as west africans and are suited to soccer,cricket and sprinting.
kenya has 27 sub 2:10:00 marathoners so far in 2009,
kenyan sub 2:10:00 marathoners by year.
1997-14
1998-13
1999-25
2000-21
2001-16
2002-28
2003-41
2004-23
2005-32
2006-33
2007-48
2008-57
2009-27 (so far), this is before the boston marathon.
other countries sub 2:10:00 by year
ethiopia
1997-2
1998-2
1999-3
2000-3
2001-3
2002-6
2003-4
2004-4
2005-4
2006-4
2007-6
2008-12
2009-11 (so far)
japam
1997-4
1998-7
1999-6
2000-7
2001-7
2002-6
2003-13
2004-10
2005-6
2006-3
2007-2
2008-7
2009-0 so far.
and if anyone wants the women under 2:30 stats per year.
kenya
1997-4
1998-3
1999-8
2000-10
2001-9
2002-10
2003-12
2004-10
2005-11
2006-12
2007-13
2008-14
japan
1997-8
1998-13
1999-10
2000-16
2001-19
2002-19
2003-12
2004-13
2005-17
2006-15
2007-11
2008-18
2009-14 (so far)
ethiopia
1997-1
1998-1
1999-3
2000-4
2001-4
2002-6
2003-4
2004-6
2005-7
2006-7
2007-7
2008-13
2009-17 (so far)
note ethiopia can break japans record for most ever PERFORMERS under 2:30 (which japan has with 19 in both 2001 and 2002, if 3 of their women who have not yet run a marathon in 2009 go under 2:30:00 tomorrow at boston.
note the numbers i put up are performers not performances,
example if it seemed like kenya had more than 57 sub 2:10:00 marathoners in 2008 it is because many of the 57 did it 2 or more times, it was 57 DIFFERENT kenyan men under 2:10:00.