London to Brighton VS London Marathon

[xxmimixx]

Hello
having done the L2B yesterday and hubby the London Marathon last year we are getting a little competitive on the effort and fitness level needed for this two events.

I know that running is much more hard work than cycling but can you at least proportionally compare to each other?
Is the London Marathon the equivalent of 54 miles or 100 miles on a bike?

Most runnuers who train for the marathon would aim for a sub 4hrs and they would be proud to have done a good job. How would that compare to the L2B? 5hrs? 6hrs? more...

The elite marathonists do it in around 2hrs
The fastest L2B I believe is 3hrs (not a timed event)

Anyone has any idea on this?
BTW I did it in 4.48, reached the 40m mark after 3.25 and Ditchling was a 'Bea7ch'

thanks

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Against all my better judgements, here's my input to your domestic squabble!

You cannot compare times as the two activities are very different. There's no part of a marathon you can freewheel!

So you have to look at amount of preparation required, the various 'phases' you go through on the event and the impact on your body with respect to recovery etc.

In my experience a road marathon is more comparable to a fast 200km, hilly ride. It's not impossible to do each of them on successive days, but you know about it!

Also I think the extended 24 hour fell runs (The Bob Graham round in the Lakes or the MacLehose Tail in Hong Kong) are equivalent of the 90 hour Paris Brest Paris on a bike. So it's something like a 1: 4 ratio (time) of running to hilly riding.

 

[Davidc]

The physical effort conversion is usually taken as 4:1, so you'd need to be doing the LtoB as a return trip.

Both the London Marathon and LtoB bike ride are flat (compared to most events, and Ditchling is little more than a mole hill by national standards) so in that respect comparable.

I'd have a problem doing the marathon because running has always given me a dreadful headache, so wouldn't want to try out the 4:1 theory.

I did a charity ride yesterday, 54 miles with about 3 times the total climb of the LtoB route, and the fast riders did that in under 3 hours. Many did it as a return trip and passed me on their return when I was only about 2/3 of the way there, so I expect they'd have done the return trip in under 6 hours, including some roads where their speeds would be forced low.

You'd have difficulty doing a return LtoB in reasonable time because of the cycle congestion on the outward leg, unless it's changed dramatically since I did it ** years ago.

 

[Rebel Ian]

Best way to settle the argument is you run a marathon and get hubby to do a long bike ride - then decide!!

 

[xxmimixx]

There's no part of a marathon you can freewheel!

that's a valid point I forgot to add but was mentioned in our 'domestic squabble'

thanks for the replies it's good to hear about others unbiased pov

 

[xxmimixx]

Best way to settle the argument is you run a marathon and get hubby to do a long bike ride - then decide!!

I want to do a half marathon by autumn, that would be a great achievement as I had a slipped disk 2 1/2 years ago and turned to cycling as is not such a high impact on your back as running, I still have a very 'delicate' back but Im determined not to let it rule me so Im going to try and start taking it easy running.

On the other hand hubby who had not interest in cycling whatsover (even when I was trying to convince him to take it up) is now intrigued by all the fun and enthisiasm and will be starting cycling soon.

I think he will do the L2B sooner than me doing the London Marathon though
one to achieve before Im 40 (not long to go!)

 

[PK99]

Is the London Marathon the equivalent of 54 miles or 100 miles on a bike?

I'm pretty fit, rides of 40-80 miles are regular (2-3 in a week not unusual) at least one of those will involve significant climbing in the Surrey hills.

A marathon would kill me!

But i am 100 kg and lugging that weight around by foot is no joke!

 

[Davidc]

I should have added that as Tim Bennet says, you can't really do a speed comparison, the two are very different activities. That said 2 hours for 26 miles in a marathon is 13 mph and very fast, whereas many fit and youthful cyclists could manage that speed over 104 miles.

 

[rich p]

FWIW, I've done the Bob Graham in 23h 11m, the London Marathon. The longest cycle ride I've done is 150 miles and the hardest the Fred Whitton.

The running events were incomparably harder than anything I've done on a bike, partly because I was trying to be competitive and partly because of the impact trauma involved in running.

I suspect someone who has done 200 miles upward at a competitive pace would be able to offer a more apt comparison.