Mutai sets marathon record (kind of)

Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai covered Boston in 2:03.02 today, fastest ever in the 26.2 mile distance. Unrecognized, however, because it occurred with a tailwind on a downhill course.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/04/17/sports/AP-ATH-Boston-Marathon.html?_r=1&hp

I wonder if the two-hour marathon will become this generation's four-minute mile.

 

It will, when the mark gets below 2:01. People will really start to pay attention to it then. I kind of do now.

 

A tailwind technicality on a marathon? Seriously? Add that to the list of absurdities...

 

Boston is not an easy course, either, even if it's considered downhill.

2:03 is fucking fast. I'm guessing we'll see a 1:59 marathon in the next 20 years. Maybe less than that if the right steroids are in play.

 

The only thing really remarkable is the wind isn't out of the northeast in Boston in mid-April.

 

Not even in 20 years according to some experts.

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/10/15959-sub-2-hour-marathon.html
http://outsideonline.com/fitness/travel-ga-201105-shortest-marathon-sidwcmdev_155669.html

 

Not really, since it's more or less a straight line from Hopkinton to Boston, as opposed to a loop-style course seen in many other marathons.

 

Did you guys catch the women's race?

Un-freakin-believably exciting.

 

Go from Mile 16 to Mile 22 and tell me that's a downhill course. I know it's mostly downhill for the first 6 miles or so, but there are a lot of other marathon courses far easier than Boston.

 

Worth noting that the London marathon was won in record fashion by another Mutai, Emmanuel, likewise Kenyan, on Sunday.

 

Calling it downhill is misleading. It's a net elevation drop from start to finish. What happens between those two points, well ...

 

My whale-like carcas couldn't run 2 miles in 2:03.whatever, let alone 26 miles.