Eliud Kipchoge ran at 13.1 MPHs for 2 hours. What most people like like running at 13.1 MPH.

Submitted by Ezekiels Creatures on October 14th, 2019 at 12:59 AM

Here's two videos showing what most of us would look like trying to run as fast as Kipchoge. And he did it for 2 HOURS!!

This first video is from two days before he broke 2 hours:

 

https://youtu.be/Ds21U7coQzI?t=131

 

The second one is from when he broke the marathon record in 2018. It shows regular runners, and non-runners, on a treadmill trying to keep up his pace:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRYtn0j5ccA

 

TheCube

October 14th, 2019 at 4:34 AM ^

Those guys are called rabbits. They don’t count. He also had a car with a laser pointer highlighting the WR pace he had to keep up with throughout the whole event. 
 

But it’s weird tho because in track n field WRs count with rabbits setting the pace even tho they fall off eventually as well? Obviously a laser pacemaker car DQs Eliud but would just having humans also DQ him? Different rules for marathons I guess. 

Firstbase

October 14th, 2019 at 9:19 AM ^

They not only paced him, they created a wind-breaking echelon that, according to best estimates, saved him over 1-1/2 minutes total. 

Also, I wonder how many of these elite distance runners are on banned substances? Hopefully Kipchoge isn't, but the apparent ease with which he handled this feat at least begs the question.

 

 

ThisGuyFawkes

October 14th, 2019 at 9:48 AM ^

The main difference is that the "rabbits" in a typical race run for a certain distance than fall off. Example, for the 1500m a Rabbit may run the first two laps to set the pace and then drop out and let the eventual winners take over for the next 2. With Kipchoge - the rabbits were rotating and not running the entire race - meaning a rabbit could run for 2 miles and then drop off and then a new rabbit would start fresh at mile 2 and then run to mile 4 and so on.

NeverPunt

October 14th, 2019 at 1:42 AM ^

Not sure if you saw OP but there were two thread on this on Friday night and Saturday am but have since been buried by the see-saw of relentless “support the team” and “impending doooooooom” threads. Your videos are a new addition to the discussion at least 

mgobleu

October 14th, 2019 at 8:51 AM ^

Amazing. That kind of talent is a double edged sword though; just imagine Kipchoge at the mall or the airport or just walking around town. If he gets stuck behind a slow crowd, (which is every crowd to him) he must want to commit murders. 

goblue234

October 14th, 2019 at 9:42 AM ^

That guy in the 1st video is also like 5'3, so I'm not really surprised his stubby legs look like they're going really fast at 13mph.

M-B Devil Dog

October 14th, 2019 at 10:33 AM ^

This wasn't an attempt to break a world record, this was solely created to see if a human can run a full marathon under 2 hrs so the rabbits and laser were for him to help keep his pace. I raced Ironmans and ran marathons competitively for over a decade, make no mistake, this is a HUGE feat. The comment about the runners "breaking wind" for him aiding him 1-1 1/2 min is a serious guess. That assumes a lot of variables held true for the whole 2 hours. For a runner like Eliud this isn't as difficult as one might think. His Maximum aerobic ceiling (meaning the highest point as to where an endurance athletes body can process oxygen and still be in an aerobic state, not sub threshold or  Lactate threshold) is probably around a pace of 5:20/mile. That is what is astonishing, he is running aerobically near 5:20/mile. by my estimation he stayed in a Maximum aerobic threshold area for 75-80% of the race then the last 20-25% was what is called sub threshold which means his heart rate is beating around 3-5 beats higher than his aerobic threshold.  kicking that hr up just that few beats though was a high risk of failure. Generally speaking at that level of running it's not the aerobic system that can't keep up, it's the chassis that will break down. The laser was the biggest factor In my mind because at that point he had a visual aid that allowed him to shut his brain off which can be your biggest enemy in racing because even though you "feel" where you should be or have monitors telling you your brain questions where you are and if you are at the right pace. by shutting down the brain and not having to question his pace he can focus on his breathing and his form.

 

Congrats to him for accomplishing something that humans thought may never be possible.