London marathon today...... times are mind blowing.

[Dave7]

The Kenyans and Ethiopians are certainly class leaders in distance running. One factor is likely being born into and living in an area with higher altitude. Addis Ababa for example sits at 2,355 metres above sea level and Nairobi slightly lower at 1,795 metres.

I read today that its not just that they are Kenyans......all the top runners are from the same tribe.

 

[ColinJ]

I read today that its not just that they are Kenyans......all the top runners are from the same tribe.

I just read THIS article in Scientific American which suggests that cultural forces may be equally as important. I suppose the only way that you would know for sure is to move a lot of people from that tribe to somewhere else when they were very young and move a lot of people from somewhere else to live in that area when they were very young and see what happened!

 

[User33236]

Yes.....from 8 1/2 minute miles to maybe 7 1/2 minutes.
Those guys are from a different planet.

I’m pretty sure Kenya is still on planet Earth

A bloke I knew from a previous running club (I only started running around 18 months ago) ran London marathon today finishing in 2:28:37. He’s just an amateur and in his late 20’s but has been running since primary school and now fitting runs into his busy working schedule. He never wanted to make running a career but knows, have he taken opportunities offered to him many years ago, would’ve been faster today by some margin.

 

[stephec]

I’m pretty sure Kenya is still on planet Earth

A bloke I knew from a previous running club (I only started running around 18 months ago) ran London marathon today finishing in 2:28:37. He’s just an amateur and in his late 20’s but has been running since primary school and now fitting runs into his busy working schedule. He never wanted to make running a career but knows, have he taken opportunities offered to him many years ago, would’ve been faster today by some margin.

He's not from SRC?

 

[Yellow Fang]

[QUOTE 5221683, member: 43827"]What is quite surprising, and shows the room for improvement with UK runners is that the previous British record of 2.07.13 has stood for 33 years until today.[/QUOTE]

Apart from Mo Farah, British distance running is not as good as it was. Who apart from Farah was run under 2:10 in the last twenty-five years?

 

[User33236]

He's not from SRC?

Nope, temporarily joined another club before my current one which run closer to my speed

 

[Elybazza61]

Cynic hat on

Nothing to do with additional help

 

[midlife]

I was a student in London when the first one was run, I had a mosey over and don't remember seeing anyone famous. Maybe the quality of the runners have improved

 

[User33236]

Apart from Mo Farah, British distance running is not as good as it was. Who apart from Farah was run under 2:10 in the last twenty-five years?

Dewi Griffiths did a 2:09:49 in October last year and Richard Nerurkar did a 2:08:36 in 1997.

 

[SteveF]

Was spectating near the 13 mile mark and latterly the 21 mile mark.

Saw the elite men go through, they seemed effortless.....

I was incredibly impressed with the sight impared runners, very difficult for me to envisage the event from thier perspective.

The lasting impression I have is the awesomeness of the human body and spirit.....

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I guess the results service is being overloaded at the moment, by the amount trying to log in

Thus, I can only glean times, not places, for the best, from my Clubs FaceBook pages

Terry Forrest = 2.35:52
Simon Newton = 'sub' 2.40
Becky Winters = 3.04:04

Terry invariably starts from the back at any race I've seen him in, from ParkRun to marathon
Heck, I've Lanterne-Rouged a trail marathon befone (Kirkstall Abbey - Saltaire - Leeds Station - Kirkstall, along the Leeds/Liverpool Canal), & he's won by almost 20 minutes!!!

 

[MikeG]

To put the runners speed into a cycling perspective, the elite men averaged just under 13 miles an hour. Plenty of cyclists would think of 26 miles in 2 hours as a decent run out.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

[QUOTE 5222113, member: 9609"]I purposefully did a 26 miler tonight (26.4+1215' ascent) 2h35. I just find it astonishing that someone could have ran that faster.[/QUOTE]

Flat course and no stopping for lights or junctions. Sure you would be under two hours on such a course.

 

[Reynard]

Flat course and no stopping for lights or junctions. Sure you would be under two hours on such a course.

Not me LOL...

I'm a 10 mph type cyclist, and the fact that these bods (both guys and gals) can do the distance faster than little me on my shrunk-in-a-boil-wash bike is kinda scary. I just don't have the "oooomph"

 

[classic33]

The "Two Hour Marathon" is a bit like the "Four Minute Mile", only we're approaching the limits.

Have a pacer running can help, but would the time stand if the runner were to have multiple pacers over the course, joining when the previous one has dropped out?

There's rules on tailwinds, drafting and maximum course elevation that have to be met. Don't and the time will not be recognised.