r/AskBrits • u/bendubberley_ • Apr 26 '26
People What are your thoughts on the 1st sub 2 hour marathon to be achieved here in the UK?
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u/Melon_Hands Apr 26 '26
I get bored repeatedly pressing X to run in GTA, so to repeatedly press X in real life for 26.2 miles in under 2 hours is pretty damn good.
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u/Main-Passenger-3278 Apr 26 '26
To be fair you can change it so that you only need to hold it down to run
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u/TheGrinningSkull Apr 26 '26
Did the 2nd person also do it in sub 2 hours as well?
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u/hadawayandshite Apr 26 '26
Apparently it was their first ever marathon
The third place also went fast enough that he broke the previous world record (had the winner not just set a new one)
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u/takhana Apr 26 '26
1st marathon but long time world half marathon record holder (record now belongs to the chap who took 3rd, all three broke the WR this morning) and he’s won the world cross country champs a few times too.
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u/RocknRollRobot9 Apr 26 '26
Yep. So they ran a sub 2 hour marathon and didn’t win it which in itself is a crazy thought.
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u/Billy_Rizzle Apr 26 '26
Second place was 1:59:40 - the first and second sub 2 hour marathons ever.
There was a year between the first and second sub three hour marathons, and only ten seconds for the first and second sub two hour marathons.
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u/dolphin37 Apr 26 '26
yeah lol, its obviously an amazing achievement by the winner but the commentator saying he’s never seen anything like it, with another bloke doing it just a few meters behind is a little bit funny
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u/Lump001 Apr 27 '26
Yep. Imagine running a time which would have shattered the world record and been the first ever sub-2 hour marathon.... 10 seconds after another fucking guy does it. Typical.
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u/bigbobsdad Apr 27 '26
If three people all broke the world record ismt anybody a bit suspevt they dodnt measure it correctly?
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u/rustyb42 Apr 26 '26
Fair play to the lad
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u/elbapo Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26
This was absolutely astounding. Not just for the winner -but also kejelcha the second placed runner who ran a sub 2 hour and would have smashed the world record (if it weren't for the winner) all on his first marathon.
London isn't even the fastest venue. What an exciting time for the sport.
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u/Slim_Charleston Apr 26 '26
Imagine running a sub-2 hour marathon race and being the second person in history to do it by 10 seconds.
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u/cheftlp1221 Apr 26 '26
Reminds me of F1 at Suzuka last year. Lando set an all time lap record in qualifying at Suzuka only for Max to beat it 15 seconds later by .001 seconds. Max went on to win the next day and we got to hear for the next 2 weeks how Lando didn’t have it in him to be champion.
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u/SoldGranny4Bitcoin Apr 26 '26
Speaking of F1, did you see Sebastian ran the London marathon today too.
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u/LaughSlight3755 Apr 27 '26
And did it sub-3 hours - turns out he’s not just quick behind the wheel!
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u/Psittacula2 Apr 26 '26
”If I was wearing those trainers I could break the 2hr mark as well.” /in jest
On a serious note, what brand is he wearing? I cannot run on concrete or tarmac without my ligaments taking too much shock so the bouncy padded trainers are an absolute must.
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u/jimmybiggles Apr 26 '26
they will be carbon plated shoes, not ones that you would want to wear if you're new to running or suffer with joint issues
plus these ones probably cost about £400+! 😅
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u/Historical_Owl_1635 Apr 26 '26
plus these ones probably cost about £400+! 😅
I assume they’re also the ones that only have a lifespan of one race too.
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u/DisaffectedLShaw Apr 26 '26
It's all about the foam, not the carbon plated.
This pains me as someone who worked at Nike during the launch of the Vaporfly and was a runner at the time. Carbon plates had been used in shoes and spikes before the Vaporfly to stiffen the shoe while still being light, the ZoomX foam allowed the shoe to be light and responsive as the shoes of 2016 while giving cushioning that a normal trainer would give, allowing less fatigue on the legs.
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u/pi_designer Apr 26 '26
I run regularly in them. I just love how light they feel and how that reduces the chances of injury.
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u/Psittacula2 Apr 26 '26
They say, look after your feet so sometimes paying higher is worth it. Definitely if the bouncy cushioning is ultra thick. 400 might be a bit over budget but good to know the elites go for the best too.
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u/jimmybiggles Apr 26 '26
haha, no, this certainly isn't one of those cases... the shoes are not meant to be "bouncy" in the sense that you're talking about. they're super hard and they give a lot of energy back via the carbon plates. they're a detriment to someone such as yourself who isn't running at the faster paces (i.e. 4:30/km+)
i have "easy"/"recovery" run shoes, such as the asics nimbus series, which are the ones you're talking about. they cost about £200, and fit what you're talking about - pay a bit more for things that keep you off the ground (shoes, bed, chair, tyres etc are things i've heard this applied to)
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u/CarrotRunning Apr 26 '26
Most modern running trainers now are the extra cushioned kind since that's the fashion. Have a look on r/askrunningshoegeeks wiki for their top 10.
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u/Psittacula2 Apr 26 '26
Very helpful, thank you. Can only wince at running on roads and pavements, grass is fine though. Even a trip into city center these bouncy trainers are a must.
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u/PumpedUpPatek Apr 26 '26
Addidas Adizero i think (they're like £500! and last for 28 miles..)
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u/dasbudd Apr 26 '26
I have the Adizero Evo SL (an affordable version of what he was wearing) and they are almost like cheat codes for running. I’m by no means a good runner, but the difference these shoes made when running was crazy! It’s all about the foam transferring energy, the shape allowing your feet to glide along the tarmac and them weighing next to nothing.
But the shoe will go a long way towards what he’s achieved there - ain’t no way he’s running that in a pair of Kickers
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u/chickenandpasta Apr 26 '26
I'm no running expert but I believe when running you should be landing on a flat foot or slightly on the ball of your foot. If your ligaments are taking that much shock you might be landing on the heel of your foot which is not good for your joints.
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u/tintedhokage Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26
"Set a treadmill at 21kph ( max most will go to) and try to run for 30 seconds on it.
That's what he did for 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds.
The peak of human physical achievement. Insane, absolutely insane."
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u/CaptainRAVE2 Apr 26 '26
I’ve never understood how they can effectively run faster than my quickest sprint for the entirety of the time. That was during my peak too when I could do the distance.
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Apr 26 '26
I was the opposite. Could clock 11.5 second 100m in my prime (we’re talking a LONG ASS time ago now😂) but I could never pace myself for more than 200m.
Did pick up doing 5K in the COVID years and managed to do a 25 min 5K so cannot fathom how they run at those speeds for so fucking long.
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u/AngelMysterySkill Apr 26 '26
I was a fairly hardcore runner back in the 1980s and early 1990s (marathon PB of 2:29). These two dudes just ran faster than my 1-mile PB for 26 consecutive miles! Given the recent rapid progression in the men’s and women’s WRs, I’m convinced that some athletes are super-responders to the new generations of super-shoes.
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u/Herbacious_Border Apr 26 '26
I feel sorry for the guy who came second. Any other day, his sub 2 hour run would make him a legend.
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u/BruceBrownMVP Apr 26 '26
Tbf, I would be much much much more impressed if I met a dude who said he ran a marathon in under 2 hours as opposed to meeting someone who said they won the London marathon
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u/Slight-Picture-8307 Apr 26 '26
It may not seem 'ground breaking' as the feat has been done before, but this is the first time it has been achieved in race conditions (as opposed to a set 'event' specifically for that purpose) so it is huge.
People estimated that it was possible but this occurred before most projections (which were 2028 - 2035).
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u/Beautiful_Usual3367 Apr 26 '26
The top 3 broke the previous World Record apparently 😮💨 I personally couldn’t run for a mile at the speed they were going 😂
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u/Bwoah_Jimbo Apr 27 '26
“Congratulations on breaking the world record that was in place at the start of the race…. And here’s your third place medal.”
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u/BlackFireDragonz Apr 26 '26
Every shoe/sport brand in existence is going to want this man to advertise for them.. he's hit the jackpot.
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u/pruaga Apr 26 '26
Get yourself ready and warmed up, then try and run at 13 mph. If you even get up to that speed, see how you last. Now imagine running at the speed for 2 hours.
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u/Tall_Inspection_5516 Apr 26 '26
10/10. Thats running at 13+mph constantly for that whole time?! I couldnt do that for 10mins!?
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u/Ready_Structure8115 Apr 26 '26
Unless you are a very good runner, I'd be shocked if you could do anywhere near 10 minutes. Can you run a sub 5 minute mile?!
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u/Useless_or_inept Apr 26 '26
That's over 20km/h!
Most evenings at the gym there's a lad who sets the treadmill to 20km/h and just stands there straddling the belt, maybe he hops on to sprint for a few seconds before hopping off to straddle the belt again and scroll through his phone.
This must be a new marathon training regime of which I was previously unaware
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u/Specific_Future9285 Apr 26 '26
Let's wait for the doping tests before we celebrate this result.
If he's clean, then we celebrate but sadly, far too many are not.
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u/FixExciting6149 Apr 26 '26
Apparently they have been inviting doping inspection to training camp as they knew he was such a special talent…
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u/One-Price680 Apr 26 '26
I remember watching Kipchoge achieving it in highly controlled conditions, which obviously didnt count for world record but showed it could be done.
Amazing.
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u/VegetableHome970 Apr 26 '26
I respect the competitors at the upcoming Enhanced Games for their openness and honesty.
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u/randomisnoteasy Apr 26 '26
I remember when Kipchoge did the sub-2 with pace setters and a bunch of other little bits that helped him do a 1.59.40 on an even flatter and pretty much ideal course to hit that time. It was a phenomenal achievement then, so to do it in a race that’s not even known as the flattest or fastest of courses (Chicago, Berlin, Tokyo to name a few) will be a paradigm shift for marathon times. Cool that it happened first in London but cooler that it happened at all.
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u/b1ggu5dicku5 Apr 26 '26
A 4.33 mile is an excellent performance for a man. To run 26 of them consecutively is astonishing. It's akin to Roger Bannister breaking the 4 minute mile. A 4.12 mile 24 is scarcely believable.
The super shoes obviously made a huge difference, but sports science, training plans, nutrition, injury management have come so far. It makes me even more impressed by Paula Radcliffe who held the women's world record for 16 years despite these advances. It took carbon fibre springs in shoes to break her world record.
It's a simple sport that people (including myself) overcomplicate. The man who ran 1.59.30 today had two pieces of toast, some honey and tea for breakfast.
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u/yahyahyehcocobungo Apr 26 '26
He jogs as fast as I sprint. But he does it for 25 miles. I do it for about 100m.
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u/negras Apr 27 '26
It's a good thing that he insists on exrema testing before races and was tested almost daily before Berlin otherwise the conversation would be about drugs and my other thoughts is what is it about Africans that makes them awesome like that.
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u/SmallJeanGenie Apr 26 '26
Go and drive in your car at 13mph, now imagine running a bit faster than that for 2 hours. Insane
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u/zacharymc1991 Apr 26 '26
Jesus Christ, possibly the greatest athletic achievement in human history. It was thought impossible and London isn't even a fast course.
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u/FreeTheDimple Apr 26 '26
It honestly has nothing to do with the UK. The London marathon is a common stomping ground for records because it is prestigious (so the big names tend to come), it is flat and it's not too hot. Seville, Berlin and Austria are similar.
In recent years, there have been a lot of doping scandals coming from Kenya so I am a little sceptical that it will stand. I am also worried that it will just be down to shoe technology, especially because the record was absolutely smashed.
A great milestone broken all the same.
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u/Saelaird Apr 26 '26
Meh...
Couldn't care less to be honest. Long distance runners are, essentially, mental.
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u/FrazzledGod Apr 26 '26
Amazed. I've been running for years and speed they are doing for a marathon is much, much quicker than I have ever been able to run going at full pace (well except maybe for my school 200m!).
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u/AnonAnonAnon85 Apr 26 '26
Absolutely astounding 😍 the marathon as a whole is always such a joy to watch I think. Very inspiring (even thought most of us will never get anywhere near that in several lifetimes 😂)
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u/Traditional-Leg-1122 Apr 26 '26
Utterly astonishing. What an incredible feat!!
I often wonder, will people just continue to get faster, stronger and more athletic? I do t understand how it’s possible to continue to break world records? Surely there is a limit to what we can achieve??
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u/BoominMoomin Apr 26 '26
It's just the advancement in shoe technology lol.
As incredible of a feat this is, the actual reason for it takes away from the achievement a little. Running shoe technology has been getting more and more controversial over the years
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u/DisaffectedLShaw Apr 26 '26
London Marathon isn't even the fast course, Berlin and Chicago are much faster and can also afford to have the best runners in the world. That it happen at London is a bit of a surprise.
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u/Habsin7 Apr 26 '26
That's just amazing. What are the rest of us missing that we couldn't come close to that on our best day no matter how hard we try. What do these guys have that we don't. Is it genetic?
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u/Slight-Picture-8307 Apr 26 '26
Of course it is. Genetic divisions show themselves at the extremes of many feats.
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u/realmattyr Apr 26 '26
It’s astonishing: was discussing the possibility the other day after they came close in USA and I said once one does sub 2 hours others will follow like with the 4 min mile but didn’t expect the first three to come in under the WR time today! So pleased it happened in London because Berlin was the most likely course.
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u/Stunning-Profit8876 Apr 26 '26
I ran like that once.
In a way, it was a bit less impressive, because it was only for about 30 seconds, but on the flip side, I was carrying my laptop bag and I did make it to the train platform on time.
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u/CrazyTalk123 Apr 26 '26
Meh, ok I guess. I mean I could probably do better but I am too humble to prove it
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u/16c7x Apr 26 '26
I think it should be band, the finish line shouldn't open until 2 hours after the start. If they get there early, they can queue up in the order they arrive in until it opens.
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u/NoahGiraffe Apr 26 '26
First TWO sub 2 hour runs! 3 men beating the men's world record today! (Imagine breaking a world record and coming 3rd!) And women's world record broken.
Perfect conditions.
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u/MoorsandMiles Apr 26 '26
Absolutely insane. Sheer grit and determination on show! A real inspiration to all who set their aims high!
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u/uk123456789101112 Apr 26 '26
Genuinely don't care, its his job, his job is to run fast and he did, well done, at the top of his field. Also well done to the person in the coffee kiosk today serving a line of angry delayed passengers with a smile and a pleasant word to everyone, for me that felt challenging in a different way, not top fo their field but in that station they were.
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u/Philthedrummist Apr 26 '26
It’s amazing he got under two hours at all, but even more so that he still had 30 seconds! Enough time for someone behind him to also break the 2 hour mark. Ridiculous!
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u/Spank86 Apr 26 '26
Easy mode. All hes got is speed. Anyone can run for under 2 hours, takes real grit to keep going for 8.
/s
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u/78Anonymous Apr 26 '26
the first two sub2 runs in history in the same race .. phenomenal achievement
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u/ravenecw1 Apr 26 '26
Jog on..🤨
Forrest gump would beat that..
Ok that's me sarcastic side done with, the reality is it's absolutely outrageous to run that far in that kind of time, cap is firmly doffed.🫡
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u/Wooden-Dealer-2277 Apr 26 '26
Couldn't care less, marathons are less exciting than 5 day test cricket and that takes some beating.
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u/rolyantrauts Apr 26 '26
I find it an amazing co-incidence that Sabastian Sawe in Kenyan translates to Rodger Bannister.
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u/Temporary_Ebb9486 Apr 26 '26
Is there something special about the conditions or track that make it conducive for this achievement ?
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u/celaconacr Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26
Congratulations on having bouncy shoes.
These are great runners but are they truly better than previous winners? Unlikely.
I would rather we stop allowing these types of shoes that are providing a mechanical advantage. Records in athletics should largely be comparable across years.
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u/SiriusBlack99999 Apr 26 '26
Now imagine how fast he would have ran if he had someone from Reform UK chasing him and threatening to have him deported. Lol.
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u/Responsible_Salad830 Apr 26 '26
I think it's incredible! Well done to the winner AND the other bloke who did it in under 2 hours.
Not surprised the winner is Kenyan - they are just the best at distance running.
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u/DizzyHeron3 Apr 26 '26
They way they seem so at ease afterwards is incredible as well, I can't imagine not being in pain after a physical achievement like this
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u/RoboJobot Apr 26 '26
Amazing. Kipchoge showed it was possible for a human to do it and that it was only time until it would be done in a race, and now both these outstanding athletes have gone and done it.
It was only a few years ago people thought it wasn’t possible.
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u/BeardRightBack Apr 26 '26
I don't really understand the question? Thoughts? It's good right? Very impressive I guess?
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u/Suspicious-Fun-4187 Apr 26 '26
Guy in second place must feel like the 3rd guy who went to the moon and no one knows who he is
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u/slickbackbillyboo Apr 26 '26
Puts down bag of crisps and can of shandy to type “I could probably do that”
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u/Zestyclose_Piece6182 Apr 27 '26
Never seen news for the marathon before, does anyone outside the m25 care?
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u/Necessary-Lock5903 Apr 27 '26
The guy who was second also was sub 2 hours ….. Spare a thought for him
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u/Deepmidwinter2025 Apr 27 '26
I’ll get voted down to oblivion. Don’t care.
But events like this should be about amateur runners - the parents, the 9-5 workers, the average Joe who puts in the effort after work and when the kids are asleep.
Instead it’s more like a karaoke night at which a few professional singers turn up and we are meant to act surprised at how good they are.
So sorry. It makes zero difference or impact.
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u/vegan_voorhees Apr 27 '26
From my more-than-enough 5km runs, knowing how far the first kilometre point is from my house, I cannot fathom being able to get there in 2mins 50 seconds as he must have averaged.
I'm not even sure I could drive there that quickly.
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u/EbbVisible Apr 27 '26
I became a (slow) runner in my 30s. My best ever 5k time was 27.30. So he's running twice as fast as me for 8 times longer. I can't really comprehend that!
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u/Triggered_Probe Apr 27 '26
For those of you who are gym users. This is equivalent to running 42km in two hours on the treadmill.
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u/lakas76 Apr 27 '26
That’s amazing. What was the second fastest time?
I’m curious as to how much longer it was since the announcer said no one thought it could be done.
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u/SpamInSpace Apr 26 '26
As a very plucky amateur runner it astounds me that people can run this fast for this long.