[almost_no_specifics]

Has this ever been achieved and if not, how long before it is?? As I've said elsewhere, it blows my mind that people can do like 5.5 minute miles throughout the 26 miles of a marathon and finish in 2 hours 5!!! I dunno how that works... these guys just must be rediculously fit... like stupidly so... like at what point do they, if ever, get out of breath?! Do you reckon if they can do a marathon that quick that they'd be able to do like 100 miles off that in a respectable (albeit slower-paced) time?

Sorry... I'm just really curious as to how anyone could be that fit (says me who spent the first 18 years of my life being lazy as... and spent the last 2 years getting to the point where I am today - which is being considerably slower than these guys heh)

 

[Dave]

http://www.marathonguide.com/history/records/alltimelist.cfm?Gen=M&Sort=Time

 

[richardsimkiss]

A sub 2hr Marathon would require an average pace of 4:35/mi... current record is believe is held by Haile Gebrselassie in 2:04:26, quite simply an awesome achievement!

I have no doubt that some day the human race will break the 2hr barrier, it's just a case of when.

I think the answer is to run, run, and run some more, though it's something that needs to be done from a young age... from their it's evolution that allows us to get faster and faster (adaptation and all that jazz).

I'd imagine a pretty huge part of it if learning to deal with pain and discomfort... the psychological side of running plays a MASSIVE part. I think I remember reading somewhere that elite marathoners will run at something like 90% of their max heart rate for the duration of the marathon - If it's true, that's gotta hurt! You're average Joe probably couldn't run at that level of HR for very long at all... I know if I could run at 90% of my max HR for that long I'd be a darn sight quicker than I am now!

Just did a quick google and the most obvious thing that comes up is heart voume and stroke being like twice that of an average person... ooo-er!

 

[Steve]

I ddi a sub 2hr marathon yesterday................







around the M25....GOT TO BE A RECORD SURELY!!

 

[almost_no_specifics]

LOL!!

Yeah I realise obviously these poeple run from a really young age and stuff, but I still don't get it - I can see it's being done... but... it's just amazing.

I know psychology plays a HUGE part! I haven't yet really got to that kind of part, but stupidly one of the reasons why I'm interested in doing an ultra marathon is perhaps push myself to that point, to see how I'd handle it... as a test of character I guess. And because things that are easy aren't satisfying when you finish them!

 

[twinkle toes]

I thought that yesterday too, I don't think it will be long before a sub 2 hr is accomplished

 

[steepler]

Not in my lifetime!
Sub 2hrs is a long way off yet. No way I will see it

 

[steepler]

Has this ever been achieved and if not, how long before it is?? As I've said elsewhere, it blows my mind that people can do like 5.5 minute miles throughout the 26 miles of a marathon and finish in 2 hours 5!!! I dunno how that works... these guys just must be rediculously fit... like stupidly so... like at what point do they, if ever, get out of breath?! Do you reckon if they can do a marathon that quick that they'd be able to do like 100 miles off that in a respectable (albeit slower-paced) time?

Sorry... I'm just really curious as to how anyone could be that fit (says me who spent the first 18 years of my life being lazy as... and spent the last 2 years getting to the point where I am today - which is being considerably slower than these guys heh)

You need to check out athletics data or such like

 

[twinkle toes]

Not in my lifetime!
Sub 2hrs is a long way off yet. No way I will see it

Why do you think that steepler?

I know knocking 4 minutes off any pb is a large chunk but the three main runners yesterday had run most of yesterday race at WR pace.

 

[steepler]

They were operating at maximum pace yesterday and they slowed through the second half.
To do it you need to be able to fuel and not run out of fuel. I just can't see it happening.

 

[pedestrian]

I agree with Steepler: no way will I see the sub-2hr marathon in my lifetime. The faster the reord gets, the harder it'll be to lower it.

 

[Katten]

Considering that the first London Marathon, about 20-25 years ago, was won in about 2:07 or similar, then we've managed to chip away 2 mins in all that time.

It is pretty incredible how fit these people are. But then, if any of us look at how fit we are now, comapred to before we started running a lot, then there's a big difference

 

[richardsimkiss]

I reckon 2 hours will be broken within my lifetime - Look what Radcliffe did... didn't she knock a minute and a half off the Marathon World Record in Chicago 2002... and then knock another 2 mins off that the following year in London? It only takes one superstar like that to come along and achieve the un-achievable.

Okay I concede that these people don't come along too often - but they do come along from time to time and I reckon one will do so before I croak :d

 

[steepler]

The womens record was pretty soft.
Two sub 60 halfs? No way!

 

[pedestrian]

The womens record was pretty soft.
Two sub 60 halfs? No way!

... Again, I'm going to have to agree with both of these points

But seeing as you're much younger than I am, Richard; your "lifetime" should continue beyond mine.... So maybe you will see the sub-2 hour marathon.

 

[twinkle toes]

you're not that old :d

 

[pedestrian]

you're not that old :d

Thanks for the vote of confidence, TT
The point I was making was with reference to relative "lifetimes". Mr Simkiss is something like 20 years younger than I am; so has potentially something like that number of years "extra" in which to see the sub-2 hr marathon (?)

 

[Grant]

According to Wikipedia, which is always right, its taken 40 years for the world record/world best performance to drop 4 minutes from 2:09:36 to 2:04:26 last year.

As Steepler said, the lower it gets the harder it will be to break it, so it might be at least another 40 years before we get under 2hrs.

 

[twinkle toes]

According to Wikipedia, which is always right, its taken 40 years for the world record/world best performance to drop 4 minutes from 2:09:36 to 2:04:26 last year.

As Steepler said, the lower it gets the harder it will be to break it, so it might be at least another 40 years before we get under 2hrs.

Mr P you might still be alive to see it then......

 

[cheriton]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, TT
The point I was making was with reference to relative "lifetimes". Mr Simkiss is something like 20 years younger than I am; so has potentially something like that number of years "extra" in which to see the sub-2 hr marathon (?)

I intend to live till i'm 329 so i think i will see under two hours :huh: where am i just had the wierdest dream