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posted by martyb on Monday October 13 2014, @12:55PM   Printer-friendly
from the probably-just-under-two-hours dept.

Alex Hutchinson writes at Runner's World that runners have cut the distance to the sub-two-hour marathon in half since 1998, but it will get progressively harder to trim the remaining seconds. Still, the physiologists tell us that it’s not impossible, meaning it is possible. Hutchinson says it will take several things: a cold day in March or November; a straight, flat course that is mind-numbingly boring; pacemakers who will shepherd leaders around the course cutting the wind and setting the pace; and a runner with a frame of about 5'6", weight of about 120 pounds, and towering self-confidence.

The road is so flat and straight, you can see them coming from a mile away. Six runners flow in arrowhead formation around the Canadian city of Saskatoon. The early November air is still and dry, the sky overcast, and the temperature hovers a bit above freezing, just as predicted. All in their early 20s, they’ve been training together for this moment for years; only in the last month did their coach select which three will go for the record. The remaining three form the front of the arrowhead, blocking the wind and enduring the mental effort of controlling the pace. Should one of them cross the finish line in two hours—or faster—all six will share equally in the $50 million jackpot promised by the heirs to the Hoka One One fortune. The pot of money is up for grabs, for any runner, anywhere in the world. The chase is on. So, will they make it? And what year is this?

I’m saying the year is...2075—and they make it.

 
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  • (Score: 1) by number6x on Monday October 13 2014, @10:23PM

    by number6x (903) on Monday October 13 2014, @10:23PM (#105744)

    Don't think of it as 26.1 miles at 13 mph, think of it as 26 consecutive sub-5 minute miles!

    I think about a 4:35 minute:second pace for 2 hours straight should get you under 2 hours. That is comparable to sprinting, but for 2 hours. It boggles my mind to run that fast for 2 hours. I am beat after running 45 minutes at a relatively sedate 6.5 mph on a treadmill!

    Usain Bolt was clocked at 27.79 mph [bleacherreport.com] for 20 meters of a 100 meter run. If he could accelerate to that speed instantaneously, and maintain that speed for 56 minutes and 21 seconds, he would be able to run a sub-1 hour marathon!