Eliud Kipchonge
- Thread starter gassor
- Start date
lordsummit
Moderator
It’s an incredible achievement, it’ll be a matter of time now before someone does it in a race. It proves it’s possible, yes they didn’t follow race protocols, but to be able to run that fast for that far, it’s mind blowing.
this Wiki page about the progress of the 100m makes for interesting reading. 100 years and just over a second off. Nearly 10 years since it was last broken. Kipchoge though running 17 second 100m on repeat. It’s just unbelievable.
this Wiki page about the progress of the 100m makes for interesting reading. 100 years and just over a second off. Nearly 10 years since it was last broken. Kipchoge though running 17 second 100m on repeat. It’s just unbelievable.
glancaster
In the silicon vale
For 100m, 1s is 10%, which isn't too shabby. I'm afraid recent progress (or, rather, lack of it) is probably partly explained by better anti-doping measures. Sprinting seems historically to have suffered more from this than distance running, although there are now problems there too. I hasten to add that, whilst it's impossible to be 100% sure, everything about Kipchoge speaks of the integrity of a clean runner, so I believe his accomplishment, at least, is honest.
It always makes me laugh when you see those jokers in the crowd try to run alongside the professional marathon runners for just a little. Most of them are lucky if they can keep up for 50 metres. Someone tweeted a Parkrun stat yesterday. For those who don't know, these are free, low hassle, 5k races run in various parks all over the country/world every Saturday. It's very popular and been going on for some years now, so if you tot up all the runs by all the runners there are now millions completed. Yet of all those millions, only a handful of these 5k runs have been run at a faster per-k pace than Kipchoge ran his 42k+ yesterday.
Kind regards
- Garry
blossomchris
I feel better than James Brown
windhoek
The Phoolosopher
Yep: if people must include caveats about the set up in their comments, there's simply no justifiable reason to caveat the performance of the man himself nor their praise, which he fully deserves and without qualification, period. Moreover, I respect anyone who's run a marathon as I know from experience the effort required. Kipchoge has accomplished the erstwhile impossible and is, imo, an absolute legend who will be remembered as such, for he belongs among an esteemed and decidedly small group of peers of the highest order.
It's hardly fair to compare it with Parkrun. Parkrun by its very nature is "sport for all" and aimed at getting people out of bed on a Saturday for half an hour's exercise in a social, supportive environment. There are people that walk round, after all, and people who walk round with them to keep them going. An elite pro athlete has no relevance to this.
glancaster
In the silicon vale
Just an interesting stat, and one provided by Parkrun themselves as they congratulated Kipchoge. What you are saying is that Parkrun is primarily a mass participation event, which is perfectly true, but you might be surprised to hear that pro athletes do take part in Parkrun from time to time. The Bushy Park one in London is the best for pro athlete spotting, including a certain Mo Farah.
When you move from sprinting to longer distances, especially marathons, the sport democratises greatly, and most of the great marathons, like London, Berlin and Chicago, are mass participation events. A 'normal person' can run on the same course at approximately the same time as the world's greatest runners are trying to set world records. Saturday's event wasn't like that, of course. What's the difference? At the moment we can say, simply, about two minutes. But watch this space.
Kind regards
- Garry
cutting42
Arrived at B4 Hacker Ergo
To add to glancasters reply, most of the parkrun course records have been set by elite/pro athletes. Our local run in Cassiobury Park course record was set by Adam Bowden - International Triathlete and former 3000 steeplechase GB representative. He ran parkrun in 14:42 which was still slower than any of Kipchoge's 5k splits which was the point of the stat.
glancaster
In the silicon vale
They might. When lapping you.
P.S. Our local one has definitely been visited by Mara Yamouchi, albeit after she retired from the sport. This is also quite common. Pro runners retire but they rarely stop running entirely. Some like to take their families to a Parkrun on a Saturday. Also, the Parkrun stats under-represent the pros, as sometimes they run anonymously to reduce the amount of hassle they get.
That's normal for a distance runner. BMI 20 or below. I'm 5 ft 6, at my thinnest, aged 20 and after a climbing expedition, I weighed a little under 9 st. There are no distance runners of well over 6ft and certainly none built like rugby players, it's too hard to transport the bigger heavier frame.
JTC
PFM Villager...
Not entirely. We have an elite pro runs our local Parkrun regularly. He happens to hold the course record too, but invariably gives up his time to pace other runners. Nice guy, a hugely talented runner and great ambassador for the sport.
lordsummit
Moderator
Having done plenty at many different courses I’d say the best thing about Parkrun is that the only person you’re competing against is yourself. He should have tried a different one.
Really, you're surprised that a distance runner is small and weighs next to nothing? What next, your surprise at the lack of 6ft4 17 stone champion jockeys?
cutting42
Arrived at B4 Hacker Ergo
That really surprises me as one thing I have noticed and commented on to many folks is how uniformly nice all the runners and running events I have attended have been. I certainly don't trouble the front end but I have a friend who runs at the front (very handy as he can get a head start in the coffee queue while I finish 10 mins later) and he says the same. We get the fast guys coming to lap us during Parkrun (3 lap course) and they are always courteous and polite even at the speed they are running.
However I accept there are unpleasant people in all walks of life, I gave up on a cycling group because of a rude and condescending attitude from more than a couple of folks.
Jonn
Tons of Trouble
He is much smaller and lighter than many elite distant runners. For example Galen Roop is 5ft 10”
Paula Radcliffe who until recently held the marathon world record is 5ft 9”, the same height as Mo Farah.
Tony McCoy the top Championship jockey is 5ft 10” and 11 stone (although he loses some weight before a race to stay within the weight limit).