reed wrote:
https://www.strava.com/activities/2433178968/overviewThe conversion based on the uphill is about 5:05/mi, not accounting for the altitude (climbs from sea level to 5000')
I'd guess that Kilian could run about 65:00 for a real half based on this performance. He ran 5:05/mi effort for 86 minutes, so for a 65min race he should easily run 10 seconds per mile quicker. And then there's the altitude impact!
This is why Kilian is the GOAT
Kilian is the best all around trail runner, but the only specific discipline where he is the best in the world is skyraces such as Kima and Ring of Steall. The talent pool in those races is shallow, Kilian races the same guys year after year, and knows how to beat them.
Kilian hasn’t won UTMB since 2011 (the race has gotten much more competitive since then). His winning time at Western States is nearly an hour slower than Walmsley’s. At Speedgoat (a true mountain race), Walmsley has run 9 minutes faster, even with Kilian cutting a bunch of switchbacks. His Pikes Peak Marathon time is not in the top 20 times, and is 24 minutes slower than the record.
I am a big Kilian fan, but he is a bit over-hyped and does a great job marketing himself. God bless him, he makes a very good living running and skiing in the mountains every day.