How in the world can a human being run that fast?
I was reading an article earlier today about a guy in Ethiopia who just set the World Marathon Record the other day at the Berlin Marathon, beating a record set just 2 years ago.
This Ethiopian (whose name now escapes me, by the way) ran the marathon (26.2 miles) in 2 hours, 4 minutes, and a few seconds. This translates to an AVERAGE PACE of 4 minutes and 45 seconds per mile, or almost 14 miles per hour!
It boggles the mind. How can ANY human being train their body for that kind of speed? Just a few years ago that could not have seemed possible. Now, well, now they are just waiting on someone to officially break a 3 minute mile. Someone broke a 4 minute mile, on a sprint, about a year or so ago. There was an article in Runner's World about it. How? How? How?
Are we living in a world of new supermen? Who needs bionics-- we have Kenyans and Ethiopians, and Japanese, and even British... All of whom are just incredibly fast. It also makes me wonder why no Americans are on the list. (I could start trying to guess, but that is something for another day, another post.)
In another article, I was reading about age group records for the marathon. For example, did you know a man by the name of Singh ran a marathon in Toronto a year or so ago in 5 hours and 40 minutes. Why is this exemplary? The man was 92 years old! When I ran MY lone marathon, I was NOT this fast!
Also, the world record for a 70 year old running a marathon, set further back than these others I mentioned was 2:54:48. Still amazing, but not as amazing as someone over 90 actually running an entire marathon.
Anyway, food for thought, and something completely random to interest you on your day.
This Ethiopian (whose name now escapes me, by the way) ran the marathon (26.2 miles) in 2 hours, 4 minutes, and a few seconds. This translates to an AVERAGE PACE of 4 minutes and 45 seconds per mile, or almost 14 miles per hour!
It boggles the mind. How can ANY human being train their body for that kind of speed? Just a few years ago that could not have seemed possible. Now, well, now they are just waiting on someone to officially break a 3 minute mile. Someone broke a 4 minute mile, on a sprint, about a year or so ago. There was an article in Runner's World about it. How? How? How?
Are we living in a world of new supermen? Who needs bionics-- we have Kenyans and Ethiopians, and Japanese, and even British... All of whom are just incredibly fast. It also makes me wonder why no Americans are on the list. (I could start trying to guess, but that is something for another day, another post.)
In another article, I was reading about age group records for the marathon. For example, did you know a man by the name of Singh ran a marathon in Toronto a year or so ago in 5 hours and 40 minutes. Why is this exemplary? The man was 92 years old! When I ran MY lone marathon, I was NOT this fast!
Also, the world record for a 70 year old running a marathon, set further back than these others I mentioned was 2:54:48. Still amazing, but not as amazing as someone over 90 actually running an entire marathon.
Anyway, food for thought, and something completely random to interest you on your day.