Louis CK wrote:
Nike is full of crap. Here's the harsh reality: If you were not in the American Development/Elite Corral in the Chicago Marathon (Sub 2:31 for men) then you are just a person who runs and with or for varying degrees of personal successful.
Guys running under 2:10 will not see the difference between you (a 2:59 marathon runner) and a 3:30 runner.
It's like the guy who wins a local 5K in 16 minutes. Do you think he really cares about Denise who ran 28:30 or Tammy who ran 30:23 that day? There is virtually no difference between non-elite competitors.
Marathon Tiers:
A. Eliud Kipchoge: Undisputed marathon GOAT
B. 2:03-2:06:xx. World class thoroughbreds. Can win major marathons Kipchoge does not enter. Those who do not obnoxiously or carelessly dope can vie for Olympic hardware.
C. 2:07-2:10. World class workhorses. Can snag podium spots and even wins in major races if things get weird for some reason. See Yuki Kawuchi and Meb Keflezeghi.
D. 2:10- 2:15- National elites (outside of east Africa) good enough to make a living off just running. Podium potential at mid major events.
Can finish well but probably not podium in world events on the right day. See Jared Ward.
E. 2:15-2:20 Semi-pro. Can win small races, and maybe, maybe snag a national kit in an off event/ year. See US oly marathon trial qualifying list.
F. 2:20-2:30- Twilight zone runners. Have some talent, almost certainly run a lot of miles but don't get paid much and have virtually no chance of competing at the world or even national level. See your high volume, moderately talented college xc teammate.
G. 2:30- 2:45- Dedicated enthusiasts Tier I. These runners do it right, do it consistently, and do it in the quiet comfort between the lead pack and the bumbling hordes. See Frank, the quiet guy from Accounting.
H. 2:45- 3:00- Dedicated enthusiasts Tier II. Still respectable, but not quite as dependable as dedicated enthusiasts Tier I. Prone to crooked splits and But hey, they qualified for Boston so there- See
I. 3:00- 3:15- Twilight zone II- They trained (some), they didn't walk (much), and they finished (eventually) but they still didn't qualify for Boston, start in the A corral or beat the top masters woman. See your college xc teammate who didn't train at all.
J. 3:15-4:00 - Bucket listers. At 9 minutes a mile, they ran a marathon. See your Facebook need feed.
K. 4:00 and up. Finishers. Good for them. I mean it. See people walking down the street.
Group A and Group G are genuinely happy to be where they are. Groups E, F, and I are chronically unsatisfied, UNLESS they jump up a level. Groups B, C, D,and J focus on their social media accounts. Group H has chronic identity issues.