The German triathlete Patrick Lange just ran an amazing 2:39 marathon at the Ironman Hawaii WC and broke the 27 year old course record, finishing third overall. What could this guy run in a solo marathon?
The German triathlete Patrick Lange just ran an amazing 2:39 marathon at the Ironman Hawaii WC and broke the 27 year old course record, finishing third overall. What could this guy run in a solo marathon?
His 10k PB is around 31:00.
I figure he'd be surprisingly slow - Certainly not in the spheres of "serious" marathoners, perhaps 2:20 or so I'd guess, maybe slightly faster.
vlt. wrote:
His 10k PB is around 31:00.
I figure he'd be surprisingly slow - Certainly not in the spheres of "serious" marathoners, perhaps 2:20 or so I'd guess, maybe slightly faster.
He ran 2:39 in the heat during an ironman while training for an ironman. I think your estimate of about 20 minutes improvement for a marathon with decent conditions while training for the marathon instead is probably reasonable.
He does triathlons because he is solid at three events. If he was better at just running he would presumably focus on that.
I'd guess a little faster with focused prep, but regardless he is not capable of being competitive at the top level of marathoning. Drug checks may be more difficult in running rel to tri as well.
I would like to disagree with this, and another one of the comments above. Gwen Jorgensen, 2016 Rio gold medalist in triathlon, just placed 3rd at the USATF 10 mile championships. Thus turning many arguments on their heads in regards to "triathletes are good at 3 sports, not great at 1", or "they wouldn't be competitive in a race against runners". She has one more big enduro-race on the calendar (Island House Tri, where it is a series of races in differing formats over a few days), plus the NYC Marathon.
2016:
Rio Gold Medalist
ITU WTS Season long world championships Silver Medalist (despite sitting out most races to focus on Rio)
USATF 10 mile Championships Bronze Medalist
She's also racing a marathon this season while racing cycle-cross bike races.
Patrick Lange isn't a sub 2:20 guy, but in conditions and a course like Berlin, he could go 2:25 easily. That is with no special single-sport focus. I think it is also his ceiling, but he's a beast.
she's not really "racing" cyclocross races. She's doing them as a break and for fun, because her hubby used to be really good at them...before he became her full time sherpa.
vlt. wrote:
His 10k PB is around 31:00.
I figure he'd be surprisingly slow - Certainly not in the spheres of "serious" marathoners, perhaps 2:20 or so I'd guess, maybe slightly faster.
Well, if he ran a 2:39 marathon it was done after biking and swimming for SIX HOURS.
And you're saying he would be surprisingly slow doing a regular marathon? Lol
Delusional.....
2:20-2:25 range seems plausible.
I do most of my training with a professional triathlete. His Long Distance PB is 8:20hours including a 2:53 run off the bike. In the Hawaii World Champs 2015 he ran 3:02 and his 10k PB is 35:11.
I would say 2:30-35 is his best shot at a flat marathon for speed reasons so a guy like Lange can be a little faster but not that much.
You have to consider that being a good biker and swimmer takes its toll. Yes, you have awesome endurance and resistance BUT also some more muscle in the upper body, some bigger legs and everything feels a little stiffer which costs you a lot of efficiency. You simply dont have a bouncy kenyan or galen ruppish stride when doing hard bike rides as well. This eventually sums up and costs you a good portion of your best marathon potential time.
justanotheracc wrote:
The German triathlete Patrick Lange just ran an amazing 2:39 marathon at the Ironman Hawaii WC and broke the 27 year old course record, finishing third overall. What could this guy run in a solo marathon?
There have been quite a few of these through out the Iron Man history.
Going all the way back to Dave Scott, there would be a guy (or 2) that would crank out a 2:3x run.
None of them ever showed the ability to really drop their marathon time if they ran it alone.
Their strength is their strength, so to speak.
They would probably drop to mid 2:20s.
It is pretty simple to figure out what he could run in a marathon when you know his 10k PR. Far more interesting is Alastair Brownlee, the British athlete who got back to back gold in the olympic triathlon. He flirted with the idea of running 10k on the track at bit more seriously. Two years ago at the B race in Mt Sacs he ran 28:32, and finished 2nd. It was 6 days after he raced in an olympic distance Triathlon, so his legs were arguably not fresh. He could probably run close to 2:16 in a marathon if he only focused on running. It never really was his focus. The guy is actually quite an amazing swimmer. He is also a bit too tall and heavy to run top times. Human morphology plays a key role whether we account it or not. I find his results quite impressive and I Hope they are not the result of drugs. Time will certainly reveal the truth.
Rocket2 wrote:
He is also a bit too tall and heavy to run top times. Human morphology plays a key role whether we account it or not.
Craig Mottram is taller...
fggffad wrote:
Rocket2 wrote:He is also a bit too tall and heavy to run top times. Human morphology plays a key role whether we account it or not.
Craig Mottram is taller...
.....and has a better ass.
35:11 10k, if run as a stand-alone race, is not exactly predictive of a low 2:30s. 2:53 at the end of an ironman predicts sub 2:40, but 35:11 is probably worth more like 2:44.
The old record was held by the great Mark Allen, who ran a legit 2:20. In addition to being at the end of an Ironman, Kona is notoriously hot and windy. sub-2:40 is very stout on that course.
Rocket2 wrote:
Far more interesting is Alastair Brownlee . . . I find his results quite impressive and I Hope they are not the result of drugs.
c'mon bro, are you new to endurance sports?
Rocket2 wrote:
It is pretty simple to figure out what he could run in a marathon when you know his 10k PR.
Um no it's not. His 10k pb is probably not even close to indicative of what he can run at 10k at his peak.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised by most letsrunner's inability to recognize an incredible accomplishment outside of running. This is the same group that thinks Mo isn't even in the discussion for GOAT because he won't chase records set during EPO's heyday which have never been approached since a test was developed.
Dude could probably run 2:15 to 2:20 on a fast course. For those of you who have never done a triathlon, your legs are pretty spent when you start the run (especially on an iron man where you have already done a 2.4 mile swim and biked 112 miles). Add in the heat, the wind and the fact the course isn't as pancake flat or net downhill like the five major marathons, and it is not unreasonable to predict 2:15 to 2:20. Stop with the Tri-hate.
fggffad wrote:
Rocket2 wrote:He is also a bit too tall and heavy to run top times. Human morphology plays a key role whether we account it or not.
Craig Mottram is taller...
Ryan Hall was same height. Galen Rupp is taller.
Looking back at some of the fast dudes ... Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich is taller. Paul Tergat was taller and just about the same weight. Guye Adola is the same height. Tamirat Tola is taller. So 3 of the 10 fastest of all time are as tall or taller.
But, hey, don't let facts get in the way! ;-)
Just Freebleed It wrote:
The old record was held by the great Mark Allen, who ran a legit 2:20. In addition to being at the end of an Ironman, Kona is notoriously hot and windy. sub-2:40 is very stout on that course.
Mark never ran 2:20. He made a couple of tries to run an OT qualifier and dnf'ed in Berlin '95 or '96 after being on pace for 2:20 through 16 or 17 and then blowing up like a lit firecracker. He never completed one faster than his best Ironman marathon of 2:40.