The Meaning of 2:01:39:Eliud Kipchoge Brings An End To The Era of World Record Chase

Safiri

Thought this was a really good article by Johnaton Gault over on Letsrun ans shows just how incredible Kipchoge's run was:

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2018/09/meaning-20139-berlin-masterpiece-eliud-kipchoge-brought-era-world-record-chases-close/

Few points stand out like Kipchoges average pace on Sunday. He averaged 60:49 per half marathon with splits of 61:06/60:33. No one else in history has ever run a single half of a full marathon in under 61. The fastest ever before today was 61 flat on a downhill first half in London this year yet Kipchoge opened up Sunday with the second fastest half split ever recorded in a marathon with a 61:06 and then ran the second half 27 seconds faster than anyone else has ever run either the first or second half in. His average half split of 60:49 is faster than anyone has ever run a single segment in. There is no one even remotely close to this record anymore.

It's insane to think about that race in London in 2013 where the leaders passed through halfway in 61:30(The fastest ever half split recorded at the time) and was laughed off as suicidal pace which it turned out to be as carnage ensued and to think that just 5 years later, someone averaged 60:49 for the whole race.

Halloween Jack

Interesting that he mentions Paula ‘off-scores’ Radcliffe’s record as untouchable for all these years

Murph_D

Halloween Jack wrote: »

Interesting that he mentions Paula ‘off-scores’ Radcliffe’s record as untouchable for all these years

Well, he is also suggesting Kipchoge’s is untouchable. Gives a lot of potential credit to the shoes!

sideswipe

I re-watched the Breaking 2 documentary during the week. I do think his performance in Monza helped last Sunday. He had to have gained confidence knowing he'd actually ran faster over marathon distance before, albeit with much more elaborate pacing/drafting etc.

ultrapercy

sideswipe wrote: »

I re-watched the Breaking 2 documentary during the week. I do think his performance in Monza helped last Sunday. He had to have gained confidence knowing he'd actually ran faster over marathon distance before, albeit with much more elaborate pacing/drafting etc.

I think Monza definitely helped but Berlin was a superior performance. Its astonishing that he ran so fast in what amounted to a time trial. We know hes a special athlete in terms of physiology but his focus and mental application must be extrodianary.

Enduro

I thought this was a very interesting article, especially the thoughts about talent scouting.