My thoughts on Eliud Kipchoge's marathon/Nike stunt

This race definitely has made the sport worse off. It has taken the luster off of Kimetto's record. It's an extreme version of Radcliffe's 2:15. Radcliffe, like Kipchoge was the best runner of her era, her 2:17's were amazing, but 13 years ago she ran with male pacers who took her to a 2:15:25. At the time this was allowed, but it no longer is - for good reason - a woman's world record should not be paced by runners who are faster. Nike took this to an absurd level with Kipchoge - changing pacers every few miles and setting a pace car to maintain the pace and to create absurd drafting conditions .

But because Radcliffe ran this - it basically made the woman's world record untouchable. Three weeks ago Mary Keitney ran the greatest woman's marathon in history. Without pacers, assisted nutrition or a pace car - she made an attempt on Radcliffe's untouchable record. Going under 1:07 for the first half - yes she slowed down, but still ran a 2:17 - the fastest unassisted woman's marathon in history. Where is the hype about this achievement? no because Radcliffe ran a pace driven 2:15 - it's just a footnote. That is what we now have in the marathon...

I have been dubious if a runner could ever break 2:00 (legally). This just showed that even the greatest marathon runner in history can't do it even with contrived pacing. Hopefully this will fade away like those downhill stunts in the 10K and mile.

This will only push marathons even further to try and set high speed times, and I'm sure with time even Kipchoge's mark will be broken in a legit marathon. cause as Bekele said, winning a marathon in 2:10 doesn't give you full happiness. Achieving fast times PB's, improvement - that's what gives a runner and any man in any thing in life satisfaction- improvement, moving forward, aiming high, in any aspect of life. I'm sure that deep inside Farah is unsatisfied and knows that he hasn't yet set any mark, with his sit and kicks. Centro's gold medal is nothing but a joke, and I'm sure centro knows it.

What inspires people is the effort one puts, regardless whether he got first or not. When you see a PB- you are inspired. When you get first with a sit and kick and a slow time compared to what you could achieve- there is no inspiration in that.

Naah, this was the best thing to happen to the sport of running in a long time! It desperately needs some thinking and gigification outside the oh so stale box. I hope it becomes a regular thing. I wouldn't mind seeing Asics and New Balance et al try their own sub 2 projects. With World Marathon Majors expanding to 9 races (probably 4 in the spring and 5 in the autumn) there's room for that, especially if Kipchoge now tapers well and comes to the World Champs in London this summer to claim that title too!

Ten years from now we'll be talking about "The Sub 2 Club" as a separate thing from the official World Record - and that will be the greatest PR meme for Marathon Running ever!

I just don't understand why Kipchoge wanted to do this. I'm sure he realises there is nothing glorious about this performance because it can't be compared to a real marathon. When people talk about the possibility of a sub 2 hour marathon, they mean a real race, not a show like this. He must know that his name won't be remembered for this and that the whole thing is just ugly and stinks and gives everyone a weird feeling. The only reason he did this was probably the money.

BR800 wrote:

I just don't understand why Kipchoge wanted to do this. I'm sure he realises there is nothing glorious about this performance because it can't be compared to a real marathon. When people talk about the possibility of a sub 2 hour marathon, they mean a real race, not a show like this. He must know that his name won't be remembered for this and that the whole thing is just ugly and stinks and gives everyone a weird feeling. The only reason he did this was probably the money.

Probably he did this for the money as well. But I'm sure he knows that it isn't like a real marathon. He can't fool himself. But I'm sure that Kipchoge won't settle for this and won't retire before he goes full effort and tries to set a mark in real marathon. I give him thumbs up for the sub2 project becuase he wasn't a coward (like some we know), and he took a risk for a new adventure. Kipchoge as Bekele knows that just getting first again and again without conquering new areas isn't the real deal. (To bad Farah doesn't understand this, and I have a feeling that Rupp also belings to that Farah's club- a politician's club)

All true, but this

Not My Reel Name wrote:

Roger Bannister's mile was open to equal or better performances/athletes and today we have over 1,000 sub-4 minute milers.

is a bad comparison because it was not an attempt at a distant record but the inevitable achievement of a long-overdue one. And a bad contrast because it didn't benefit the sport any more than sub-2 did, rather it created a false mystique that has yet to be dispelled.

Where the big names? wrote:

...just getting first again and again without conquering new areas isn't the real deal.

I'd say change that to "full deal" and you would have nailed what it takes to even be considered for GOAT perfectly.

You should really read more before you "speak."

Zzzzzzz.

Alot of this is true. My concern is that this might damage Marathons forever. The idea of a marathon has already been ba5tardi5ed from its original point A to point B (Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens). Now it's out and back. My concern with today's local government consents and expenses, that marathons will turn into laps around an inner city block. Less traffic is diverted, athletes run faster times. It might kill the sport.

kl wrote:

But because Radcliffe ran this - it basically made the woman's world record untouchable. Three weeks ago Mary Keitney ran the greatest woman's marathon in history. Without pacers, assisted nutrition or a pace car - she made an attempt on Radcliffe's untouchable record. Going under 1:07 for the first half - yes she slowed down, but still ran a 2:17 - the fastest unassisted woman's marathon in history. Where is the hype about this achievement? no because Radcliffe ran a pace driven 2:15 - it's just a footnote. That is what we now have in the marathon...

.

Keitany's performance will soon become the the official world record.

Personally, they need a rule that limits pacing to the half way mark in all events.

This was great for the sport. It now gives guys a carrot. Everyone one will now go after this time in legit races.

In the next 2-3 years we'll see the WR lowered by a good amount.

Grant X wrote:

This was great for the sport. It now gives guys a carrot. Everyone one will now go after this time in legit races.

In the next 2-3 years we'll see the WR lowered by a good amount.

and nobody will be interested

ukathleticscoach wrote:

Grant X wrote:

This was great for the sport. It now gives guys a carrot. Everyone one will now go after this time in legit races.

In the next 2-3 years we'll see the WR lowered by a good amount.

and nobody will be interested

Awe, coach thinks he speaks for everyone! How cute!

Grant X wrote:

This was great for the sport. It now gives guys a carrot. Everyone one will now go after this time in legit races.

In the next 2-3 years we'll see the WR lowered by a good amount.

I agree with you- other performances won't be diminished because other performances won't be run under optimal conditions with perfect, multiple pacers.

They showed that a person can move his legs that fast- it's a goal to strive for.

Shalane Flangan said it best when she said everyone has to find their own sub 2 hour goal and work towards it.

I'm 58, my sub 2 is a sub 1:20 1/2 marathon.

That inspired me- and I want those compression shorts and that tape on their legs!

there is nothing preventing race directors from allowing male pacers for women in any marathon today

in fact yesterday in the Prague marathon they had male pacers for the women

just any record set that way goes into its own category

but the mainstream still won't understand or care for that matter

and btw remember Radcliffe has a couple of 2:17 marathons without male pacers too, it was "women only" and that was twelve years ago on the same course!

The number of Nike employees paid to be on these threads is disgusting. It illustrates what the company actually thinks of the sport--that it's just a vehicle for advertising.

In 1991, Nike paid Lance Armstrong to say, "What am I on? I'm on my bike 6 hours a day, busting my ass."

In 2017, Nike pays its employees overtime. Why? So they can be on LetsRun 24/7, pulling propaganda out of their asses.

I've never before been a Nike hater, but you folks have totally converted me to one. Nice work.

BR800 wrote:

I just don't understand why Kipchoge wanted to do this. I'm sure he realises there is nothing glorious about this performance because it can't be compared to a real marathon. When people talk about the possibility of a sub 2 hour marathon, they mean a real race, not a show like this. He must know that his name won't be remembered for this and that the whole thing is just ugly and stinks and gives everyone a weird feeling. The only reason he did this was probably the money.

Easy -- he would have run a Spring marathon anyway, and Nike reportedly paid him $2 million to make it worth his time and effort. He was only 25 seconds away from making a reported $5 million if he broke 2 hours.

Kichoge had a great day -- no matter how many "advantages" you think Kichoge had in this, he still had to run the course at an amazing pace. He solidifies his status as GOAT, and when he does run a regular race again, hopefully Berlin, he will have a huge mental advantage on everyone else, as if he didn't already. Plus he takes care of his family with the payout.

Nike owes Kichoge more than he got for this event as he came tantalizingly close, and much closer than anyone thought he could get at this time. Kichoge made this event for Nike.

I think you're being a little dramatic.