Got a mention on this morning's SportsCenter, as a Bonus Top Ten [after the #1 highlight] and is in the crawl beneath College Game Day

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Oh I'm not disagreeing with you. What I'm saying is that it's still a long ways off in a real world race, whether they are now suddenly more "motivated" or not. They have to do it, and so far the human body hasn't allowed it to happen without these circumstances. Which again is why they did it in this contrived way to begin with.

ETA: So I guess what I'm saying is that I dont see it happening anytime soonish (3yr window). Not in a race situation. But yes I think at some point with all the technologies they are able to take advantage of, at *some point* it'll happen.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Definitely a massive challenge ahead.

It sounds like he's doing Tokyo which I'm going to guess won't be a uber fast course with the temperatures.

Then he would have to have marked improvement over his PR as you said. I do think today shows he certainly is moving in the right direction and I hope the lessons learned from today (in training and execution) carry him a long way in his next fast race if that's his goal.

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Madison photographer Timothy Hughes | Instagram

Except Bannister was legit.

I would guess Tokyo will be a heat wave. In the triathlon I believe they already had to change the start time for the olympic games because of the predicted heat issues.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Like a bastard child from a pair of Nike Shokz and a Vaporfly.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Without a doubt

But, much like this, Bannister's 1st sub-4 was under "laboratory" conditions; Landy's was at an actual meet

When they met at the '54 Commonwealth Games, Bannister edged out Landy for the first 1-2 sub-4 in competition

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Not exactly laboratory. It was run under regular meet rules, and only 2 of the six starters were pacers. And the pacers ran under meet rules. (Bannister was alone on most of the last lap)

Having pacers is an established practice in middle distance and marathon. But they "toe the line" like any other racer. (I was one in college...as a big guy it was my job to make sure our star didn't get boxed in)

Eliud’s post event interview was very touching. Strongly recommend people watch it.

Hey what happens if one of the pacers gets busted for doping?

all kidding aside, I hope Kichoge goes and breaks 2 hrs at Berlin next year. It would really suck for the next man who breaks 2 hrs in a race otherwise.

Hey what happens if one of the pacers gets busted for doping?


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oddly enough just this past summer in paratriathlon, an pacer was busted for doping and thus the para athlete lost all results with said "pacer".

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

It will most likely take an insane pace team, and/or some crazy competition.. like Kipchoge vs. Bekele when they're both having great days. In Berlin 2018 when Kipchoge ran that 2:01, is pacer fell off somewhere between 9~11miles. If the drafting is key, he'd need 2~3 guys to run most of the way with him.

When you wrote this, my immediate thought was that Berlin is too soon after the Tokyo 2020 for a Kipchoge-Bekele showdown, although Chicago could be possible, (at least in the minds of the Chicago race organisers).

Off the top of my head, other than Fukuoka there aren't too many established races that would be post-Olympics opportunities that would likely to offer up WR conditions.

Given Kosgei's WR run at Chicago on the weekend, Kipchoge's run in Vienna and Bekele's in Berlin, I'm sure the Chicago organisers would be talking (at least among themselves) about the possibility hosting of a 2020 showdown.

Both Chicago and Fukuoka have a long history of fast times, though I think Fukuoka is a surer weather option.

This video titled "Olympian Collapses While Trying to Run World Record Marathon Pace" came through my feed today. It's from Nick Symmonds' youtube channel where he runs as long as he can at 2:50/km (4:43/mile) being paced by his friend 3:51-miler Will Leer. Spoiler alert:he didn't make it the full 26.2 miles. This is all kinds of awesome!

During the video, he also references the Kipchoge Challenge which he's going to attempt next week:
200m at Kipchoge pace
Rest 2 mins
400m at Kipchoge pace
Rest 2 mins
600m at Kipchoge pace
Rest 2 mins
Etc.

For the Collapse video, I read some of the comments including 1 from India indicating the fitness test for entering the Indian army consists of completing 1 mile in 5 mins. I looked it up and its not exactly true but still pretty stringent:

Up to 5:30 - full marks (60)
Up to 5:31-5:45 - 45 marks
Above 5:45 - Fail

They also give a provision for running at altitude:
Between 5000-9000 ft - add 30 secs
Between 9000-12000 ft - add 120 secs

Personally I would go for the sea level run and make it close. They have a pull-up test, a balance test and also a 9 Feet Ditch jump as part of the fitness requirement In the ditch jump, candidates need to jump 9 feet across from 1 side to the other. 3 attempts and if you can't do it, no Indian Army for you!

Here are some photos from the official website:

@Kid