Here's why Kipchoge's achievement is, in the end, not a sub 2:00 marathon.

He ran the marathon distance in less than 2 hours.

I don’t understand why it’s not a sub 2 hour marathon to you.

The marathon is a distance of 42.195 km. Kipchoge ran this distance in 1:59:40.2. So it was a sub 2:00 marathon.

Mr. Reasonable here again wrote:

It's simply a time trial. I guess he won the world's two-hour time trial.

But think of it like this: A basketball player could go to an empty gym with his coach and sink 50 free throws in a row. It's an amazing accomplishment. But it has nothing to do with a competitive basketball game. It doesn't mean if there are ten seconds left, and his team is down by one point, that he's going to sink his two free throws. What he did in the gym is pretty mid-blowing, but it's still not the same thing as making the free throws under the pressure of a game. It's a stunt. Kipchoge's performance was mind-blowing, but ultimately it was a stunt. A stunt that will sell a lot of Nike shoes.

Yeah I said it. Bring on the haters.

Nah...bad analogy. If we use your analogy, technically, it is more difficult to duplicate racing conditions in a non-racing (not racing other people) situation.

It's weird that there are so many of these threads telling us it's a time trial, etc. We all know what it is. We know who sponsored it. We know it doesn't qualify as a world record.

Mr. Reasonable here again wrote:

It's simply a time trial. I guess he won the world's two-hour time trial.

But think of it like this: A basketball player could go to an empty gym with his coach and sink 50 free throws in a row. It's an amazing accomplishment. But it has nothing to do with a competitive basketball game. It doesn't mean if there are ten seconds left, and his team is down by one point, that he's going to sink his two free throws. What he did in the gym is pretty mid-blowing, but it's still not the same thing as making the free throws under the pressure of a game. It's a stunt. Kipchoge's performance was mind-blowing, but ultimately it was a stunt. A stunt that will sell a lot of Nike shoes.

Yeah I said it. Bring on the haters.

I agree.

......and any (key word here is 'any') marathon male runner can do a similar marathon in the same conditions and belt out a 1:59.40.2.

Yes, it is NOT a big deal.

We've been collectively fooled. It is NOT sub 2 performance.

No baby strollers, toddlers, dogs , Athenas and Clydesdales clogging up the the front with rocket-launch countdown?

Mr. Reasonable here again wrote:

It's simply a time trial. I guess he won the world's two-hour time trial.

But think of it like this: A basketball player could go to an empty gym with his coach and sink 50 free throws in a row. It's an amazing accomplishment. But it has nothing to do with a competitive basketball game. It doesn't mean if there are ten seconds left, and his team is down by one point, that he's going to sink his two free throws. What he did in the gym is pretty mid-blowing, but it's still not the same thing as making the free throws under the pressure of a game. It's a stunt. Kipchoge's performance was mind-blowing, but ultimately it was a stunt. A stunt that will sell a lot of Nike shoes.

Yeah I said it. Bring on the haters.

You just said it was a time trial, but you're not counting the time? This is some world class idiocy.

The clock read 1:59 fool

It is not a two hour marathon because he didn't follow the rules. What is the difference between breaking the rules this way and using epo. A cheat is a cheat is a cheat.

Oldie wrote:

It is not a two hour marathon because he didn't follow the rules. What is the difference between breaking the rules this way and using epo. A cheat is a cheat is a cheat.

You will probably never do something that impressive like Kipchoge. Calling other people cheaters won't make you better at anything:)

"World class idiocy"? Nah, that's more Trump's field.

BUT . . . . I'm saying he ran 26.2 miles in under 2:00, and kudos to him. But it is not a "marathon" record in the sense of running a marathon race. To set the "marathon record," you need to race an actual marathon. This is not a race. Call it a time trial or a stunt. I don't think that notion equates to world class idiocy, but I'm well aware of the tendency towards hyperbole on these message boards. It's correlated with small penis size. Gotcha! :)

Sorry, I can't make it any simpler for you. *yawn*

Mr. reasonable strikes again wrote:

"World class idiocy"? Nah, that's more Trump's field.

BUT . . . . I'm saying he ran 26.2 miles in under 2:00, and kudos to him. But it is not a "marathon" record in the sense of running a marathon race. To set the "marathon record," you need to race an actual marathon. This is not a race. Call it a time trial or a stunt. I don't think that notion equates to world class idiocy, but I'm well aware of the tendency towards hyperbole on these message boards. It's correlated with small penis size. Gotcha! :)

NO ONE HAS SAID IT IS A RECORD - NO ONE HAS SAID IT IS A RACE. (yes, I was yelling then). It is a marathon. You’re being very unreasonable.

It's the fastest recorded marathon ever. But not the marathon racing record. The same thing applies to Mutai in Boston 2011 (I think 2011) where he ran the recorded time but it doesn't count for the racing world record. Either way I don't care. Back-to-back actually exciting marathon events in a short period of time. Hoping for a third tomorrow with Chicago.

impressdd wrote:

https://youtu.be/RX-FWSEmh8Y

0/10

There was no fan behind Eliud.

Oldie wrote:

It is not a two hour marathon because he didn't follow the rules. What is the difference between breaking the rules this way and using epo. A cheat is a cheat is a cheat.

You're right it's not a 2 hour marathon, it's a sub 2 hour marathon

I've been called much worse by runners quite a bit faster than you.

impressdd wrote:

https://youtu.be/RX-FWSEmh8Y

Gatlin ran 100m in 9.45.

Therefore it's a world record.

What kipchoge did with unfinite pacer and Tesla car is the same controlled and modified set up than Gatlin. These performances are the same, freakshow, exhibition , and don't count.

Actually, I think the current men's world record is 9.58 seconds, set by Jamaica's Usain Bolt in 2009. But yes, I do agree with your larger point. There are marathon races. true races. And then there are "stunts" involving a revolving cast of pacers and a pace vehicle shielding the wind, etc. Kipchoge did the latter. Not to take away from his talent. Or his shoes. But he did not break 2:00 in "a marathon."

Mr. Reasonable here again wrote:

It's simply a time trial. I guess he won the world's two-hour time trial.

But think of it like this: A basketball player could go to an empty gym with his coach and sink 50 free throws in a row. It's an amazing accomplishment. But it has nothing to do with a competitive basketball game. It doesn't mean if there are ten seconds left, and his team is down by one point, that he's going to sink his two free throws. What he did in the gym is pretty mid-blowing, but it's still not the same thing as making the free throws under the pressure of a game. It's a stunt. Kipchoge's performance was mind-blowing, but ultimately it was a stunt. A stunt that will sell a lot of Nike shoes.

Yeah I said it. Bring on the haters.

it was a unique event. it wasn't a time trial. your basketball analogy isn't helpful.

why are you trying to put it in a category or put a label on it or use analogies to understand it better? none of that is necessary. it's not so complicated that it can't be understood directly. it was what it was.