I actually think Wilson Kipsang could break 2 hours

I don't think so.

I don't even think Bekele could break it.

Kipchoge is the man. He might give the world record a stab in Berlin in November (if he doesn't run in London).

NativeSon wrote:

I don't think so.

I don't even think Bekele could break it.

Kipchoge is the man. He might give the world record a stab in Berlin in November (if he doesn't run in London).

I disagree. Adidas has 4 guys who have run sub 2:04, and one guy who is sub 2:03

Kipsang: 2:03

Kimetto: 2:02

E. Mutai: 2:03

J. Mutai: 2:03

I think their showing would be a lot better than what the three runners did for Nike as a whole. Kipchoge was great, but having 2 runners who aren't really fast at the Marathon was a mistake, and led to both of them breaking down AT THE HALF WAY mark. Now imagine 4 truly fast marathoners who wouldn't break down so easily running together behind the same pacing format. Before today, Kipchoge's best time was 2:03( no world records).

If you are talking about the two guys (Bekele and Kipsang helping Kipchoge out), then, it could have been done.

The only problem is that with Bekele, anything could happen in the race. he could run a 1:57 or 2:05.

He is very inconsistent.

Kipsang is quite consistent and should have been in this race but he is an Adidas guy.

Personally, I don't see anyone beating Kipchoge in the marathon today. No one!

NativeSon wrote:

If you are talking about the two guys (Bekele and Kipsang helping Kipchoge out), then, it could have been done.

The only problem is that with Bekele, anything could happen in the race. he could run a 1:57 or 2:05.

He is very inconsistent.

Kipsang is quite consistent and should have been in this race but he is an Adidas guy.

Personally, I don't see anyone beating Kipchoge in the marathon today. No one!

I don't know. Kipchoge beat Kipsang by 5 seconds in London....And Kipsang looked like a beast in Tokyo earlier this year. Berlin is going to be insane this year, because Im sure they are both going to race it.

Yeah, Bekele is so so inconsistent.....So it's Kipchoge and Kipsang as the top 2 in the world. I would love to put Kimetto up there since he is the WR holder, and has run under 2:04 several times...But he hasn't looked good since 2015

Bekele is only inconsistent because he can never get in good training. When you consider Bekele can run 2:03:02 or whatever it was off of nothing but sporadic, minimal training since 2009, with the occasional decent 6 month block of something decent...that's pretty nuts.

What I wouldn't give for Bekele to make it a solid 2 cycles totally healthy, and face a vintage Kipchoge. That would be the best matchup in the history of distance running in all honesty.

NativeSon wrote:

I don't think so.

I don't even think Bekele could break it.

Kipchoge is the man. He might give the world record a stab in Berlin in November (if he doesn't run in London).

I think if they try it with Bekele, Kipsang or anyone else within the next few years they have to consider the high risk of all runners present blowing up like Desisa and Tadese. That would put a dumper on the entire event.

scorpion_runner wrote:

NativeSon wrote:

I don't think so.

I don't even think Bekele could break it.

Kipchoge is the man. He might give the world record a stab in Berlin in November (if he doesn't run in London).

I disagree. Adidas has 4 guys who have run sub 2:04, and one guy who is sub 2:03

Kipsang: 2:03

Kimetto: 2:02

E. Mutai: 2:03

J. Mutai: 2:03

I think their showing would be a lot better than what the three runners did for Nike as a whole. Kipchoge was great, but having 2 runners who aren't really fast at the Marathon was a mistake, and led to both of them breaking down AT THE HALF WAY mark. Now imagine 4 truly fast marathoners who wouldn't break down so easily running together behind the same pacing format. Before today, Kipchoge's best time was 2:03( no world records).

This is true. I wonder that in future today's event will be marred by the fact that another elite like Kipsang, Kimetto or a Mutai weren't in the race and doing 2:02 (or faster) to act as a credible anchor to reality in terms of time.

El Keniano wrote:

NativeSon wrote:

I don't think so.

I don't even think Bekele could break it.

Kipchoge is the man. He might give the world record a stab in Berlin in November (if he doesn't run in London).

I think if they try it with Bekele, Kipsang or anyone else within the next few years they have to consider the high risk of all runners present blowing up like Desisa and Tadese. That would put a dumper on the entire event.

Why would Kipsang blow up like Desisa or Tadese?..Those guys are not even close to sub 2:04. ..Kipsang is just as efficient as Kipchoge!. HE is the only runner to run under 2:04 4 times, and he just destroyed tokyo! He is a 2:03 guy just like Kipchoge.

I don't think you understand.

Adidas' group AS A WHOLE would do better than Nike"s group as a whole. Four 2:03 guys in the same formation and pacing? Adidas has to try it.

Maybe you don't know the current situation of Adidas athletes : Geoffrey Mutai is in the last part of his career, and full of injuries, Dennis Kimetto is injured and not able to go back in tough training, Emmanuel Mutai seems to have lose power in his engine... Of course, with these athletes (and their real age...), nobody can hope there are chances to run under 2 hours !

I agree that Wilson Kipsang is probably the best shot at it. It's too bad this was a Nike PR piece instead of a broader test - it would have been cool to see Kipsang and Kipchoge working together trying to get there. More runners with more diverse training would have helped.

Guy with opinions wrote:

I agree that Wilson Kipsang is probably the best shot at it. It's too bad this was a Nike PR piece instead of a broader test - it would have been cool to see Kipsang and Kipchoge working together trying to get there. More runners with more diverse training would have helped.

Agreed.

I think it would be cool if they did a big Nike-Adidas crossover and they took all of those big guys that have run under 2:04 and did a similar thing. They'd stay together longer and race each other which would really make that last difference. The one thing Nike didn't seem to consider is the fact that Kipchoge races well and that guys run faster when they're racing.

What exactly would having Kipsang there with him at the end do for Kipchoge that pacers didn't do? Just psychologically someone that he had to beat to make him push himself harder? I don't know, it could have the opposite effect where subconciously they start worrying about the other guy rather than focusing on what they need to do to stay on pace. I think at the elite level, these guys are self motivated enough where a solo time trial (with pacers) may be faster than head-to-head race.

It is possible someone is better than Kipchoge (Kipsang is the only possibility but I still doubt it), or today wasn't even Kipchoge's best day (imagine that!). Or we may have just witnessed the most astonishing achievement in sporting history. There's really just no way of quantifying it right now.

Dingler wrote:

What exactly would having Kipsang there with him at the end do for Kipchoge that pacers didn't do? Just psychologically someone that he had to beat to make him push himself harder? I don't know, it could have the opposite effect where subconciously they start worrying about the other guy rather than focusing on what they need to do to stay on pace. I think at the elite level, these guys are self motivated enough where a solo time trial (with pacers) may be faster than head-to-head race.

It is possible someone is better than Kipchoge (Kipsang is the only possibility but I still doubt it), or today wasn't even Kipchoge's best day (imagine that!). Or we may have just witnessed the most astonishing achievement in sporting history. There's really just no way of quantifying it right now.

Absolutely, It was breathtaking! I'm still in Awe.

Kipchoge and Kipsang are masters of their craft, and they both know how to focus to the very end. In the London marathon, they were running side by side effortlessly to the very end. So it wouldn't be a problem for them

But yeah, you're right, let's just process what happened before jumping to the next phase.

Not insulting anyone, but I find it funny to read that Bekele is inconsistent because he may run 1:57 or 2:05 and interesting to read about the Nike vs Adidas guys. It shows us how deep and talented these East Africans are.

I wonder if Kipchoge could do it once rested knowing he's been so close? Who's to say he can't improve? I certainly wouldn't, not after that performance.

Dingler wrote:

...

It is possible someone is better than Kipchoge (Kipsang is the only possibility but I still doubt it), ...

You're forgetting a guy who ran 2:03:03 on a legal course fairly recently.

Haven't seen anyone mention it, but Tadese ran a four minute PR that was over 5 years old

justsomespectator wrote:

Dingler wrote:

...

It is possible someone is better than Kipchoge (Kipsang is the only possibility but I still doubt it), ...

You're forgetting a guy who ran 2:03:03 on a legal course fairly recently.

He's also DNF'ed and run 2:05:57 since then (and yes, I know he was trampled in the former and had blisters in the latter). But if I'm putting money on Bekele vs. Kipchoge I'm betting the farm on Kipchoge.