2:01:39

September 16, 2018 8:08 AM

Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge set a new men's marathon world record at the Berlin Marathon today with a time of two hours, one minute, and 39 seconds. His new record is one minute and 18 seconds faster than the previous record set by Dennis Kimetto at the same race in 2014. Fellow Kenyan Gladys Cherono won the women's race with a time of 2:18:11, with the top three women's competitors all finishing in under 2:19, a first.
posted by mandolin conspiracy (16 comments total)

NYTimes profile of Kipchoge from the other day.

A world record with a freaking negative split, with his pacemakers dropping out. It looks like the weather probably helped, but still-- we're one step closer to that 2:00 mark.
posted by damayanti at 8:19 AM on September 16, 2018 [5 favorites]

The world's fastest course, perfect weather, and the greatest marathoner of all time — it doesn’t get any better. He averaged three seconds per mile faster than the previous WR, which is amazing. It's a giant leap toward 2:00, but considering everything that had to come together for it to happen, as well as how long other distance world records have lasted, it could be another 10-15 years before anyone runs 1:59 in a real race (rather than a time trial, like Nike's last year).
posted by young_simba at 8:30 AM on September 16, 2018 [3 favorites]

As someone just starting the taper portion of training for his first marathon....I hate these slender gazelle people who can run so damn fast with the fire of thousand envious suns.
posted by srboisvert at 9:10 AM on September 16, 2018 [3 favorites]

true GOAT
posted by lalochezia at 10:35 AM on September 16, 2018

"Only the disciplined ones in life are free. If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods and your passions" - @EliudKipchoge
posted by infini at 11:00 AM on September 16, 2018 [5 favorites]

I love running. I've run two half marathons and I am in love with the joy of the sport and constant quesr for improvement. Part of the beauty of this sport is that you compete more against yourself than against anyone else. I care less about where I am in the field than about where my time falls in relation to my personal best.

But, every now and then, you can't help but compare yourself against other people and realize things like: Kipchoge runs every single mile of a marathon significantly faster than I have ever run a single mile.
posted by 256 at 12:37 PM on September 16, 2018 [12 favorites]

The 2:00 goal is so hilarious and heartbreaking to me. Eliud is getting less credit than he deserves for what is an amazing time - a minute faster than his previous WR- because he isn’t running a completely arbitrary distance in a completely arbitrary amount of time. Dude is fast, folks.
posted by q*ben at 2:44 PM on September 16, 2018

One minute and 18 seconds faster. Holy cats. Amazing.
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:06 PM on September 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

Wait, his pacemakers dropped out at... oh.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 3:55 PM on September 16, 2018 [3 favorites]

For those not intimately familiar with the event, the distance is 42.195 kilometers (26 miles 385 yards). (Most news sources failed to mention.)

So, an average speed of about 13 mph.
posted by Twang at 5:50 PM on September 16, 2018

That's one big step for man, one giant leap for mankind
posted by growabrain at 6:36 PM on September 16, 2018

There goes my hope of setting the record. 2:02, maybe: 2:01:39, nope.

Well, maybe for a half-marathon....
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 7:10 PM on September 16, 2018

Just amazing. I can't run anymore due to my back but at best I did a half at 2:10 and this guy can literally run more than twice as fast for twice the distance.

When I'm a spectator, I just love watching the front runners; their cadence and grace of movement is just mesmerizing.
posted by octothorpe at 7:29 PM on September 16, 2018 [4 favorites]

This dude ran 26.2 miles faster than I bike 26.2 miles.
posted by thecaddy at 9:05 AM on September 17, 2018 [4 favorites]

Just incredible. Can't wait to see what he does next!
posted by n. moon at 9:21 AM on September 17, 2018

Today in my fitness class I did a 30 second sprint at 12MPH, and it took me a year of taking this particular class multiple times per week to get to that point. This runner ran faster than that for two hours. It's amazing.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 12:34 PM on September 17, 2018 [1 favorite]