Eliud Kipchoge's New Marathon World Record, Visualized [OC]Submitted by chartr t3_xx6r6m in dataisbeautiful
chartr OP t1_iraalqb wrote
My absolute favorite thing about visualizing this data is the spike in finishers around the hour-marks. Sprinting for the finish line to get that PB!
nova_bang t1_irad19z wrote
don't think that's something that's decided close to the finish line. people just like to pick a nice round number as their target and then pace themselves for it the whole race (and training of course).
[deleted] t1_iraizvm wrote
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johnniewelker t1_irauh6f wrote
That’s fascinating. Didn’t know this. Being a 4-hr pacer seems easy enough, but a 3-hr pacer should be competing in the main race. If you can confidently pace yourself for a 3 hour marathon, you definitely can run it at 2:30-2:40 mark
yogert909 t1_iraxqj5 wrote
I’m not sure about this. 2:30 is 20% faster than 3:00. That’s a HUGE difference over 26 miles.
V1per41 t1_irb12zx wrote
The point they are making is that if you are in charge of pacing people to a 3:00 marathon you need to be able to run that time fairly comfortably. If that time represents your max effort then there is a good chance you miss the mark.
The marathon that is hiring you doesn't want something like that to happen so they get someone who is capable of running a 2:40 so that 3:00 is a straightforward and easy effort for them that they are guaranteed to hit.
yogert909 t1_irbuc5y wrote
Right. I know what they are saying but I think that is wrong.
I’ve never run a marathon, but I’ve cycled for years. And at least for me, a 2-3% increase in speed on a long ride is the difference between a comfortable ride and possibly needing to stop and catch my breath.
I’m sure there are some 3:00 pace setters who can do 2:40 or 2:30 but it’s not as easy as it sounds.
V1per41 t1_irc70z9 wrote
I guess I might be confused about what you're saying then. Are you saying that people who pace for 3:00 marathon times only have a PR around (3:00 * 0.97) 2:54?
I think depending on the day / weather / how training went, a single person can expect a 10 minute swing in their Marathon time. This is why you would want some one capable of at least 2:45 to give yourself that margin of error.
I have no idea what marathon directors actually do, this is just my guess.
spyder994 t1_irclhk5 wrote
The marathon I'm running next weekend requires that pacers demonstrate that they have run a marathon in a time at least 15 minutes faster than their pace time.
yogert909 t1_ird6f8m wrote
Yea 2:45 sounds reasonable for a comfortable 3:00. A 10 minute swing sounds reasonable. But people were talking 20-30 min which seems excessive.
phyrros t1_ircbp1f wrote
I only ran a half Marathon once but i didn't train went out drinking the day before and am a smoker. I only ran because a friend got sick and asked me to run in her stead. I planned to stop after 5 or 10k but there was this guy with this timeflag in front if me so i just followed.
Long Story short: when my body started to tell me that He really wasn't in the mood anymore i was a Kilometer away from the finish line, so i finished...and spend the next month cursing my decision because everything hurt.
Anyway, i got offtrack because i misunderstood your debate: those time people are people which comfortably can run these times. So for sure a 3hr timesetter can run far below 3hrs
WWEtitlebelt t1_irb2bi0 wrote
Pretty sure the pacers don’t need to run the whole thing at that pace. Just do part of it and then tag in the next pacer to take their place for the next portion. A team of like 4 pacers could do it relay style
KumbajaMyLord t1_irbjj5t wrote
They usually do the entire race. They are just good, dedicated runners.
Kipchoge also has a team of pacermakers that pretty much only run to support him even though they probably could finish in the top 20 by themselves.
johnniewelker t1_irb6pul wrote
Ah got it. This makes more sense then.
offalt t1_irbd5kg wrote
It's not true though.
cswanger22 t1_irdi1vo wrote
I’ve done a couple of marathons and for the 3hr pacers they switch off at the midpoint. For slower finishing times usually a person can hold that pace for the whole race
Zerdligham t1_irb9rrz wrote
Never did a marathon, but I did a few big half-marathon. I don't think I ever saw a pacer below 1h40 (not that it can't exist, but it seems to not be the norm).
anonymousguy202296 t1_irbnmfp wrote
I think typically they will have multiple people pace over the course of a marathon, especially for faster times. Can anyone confirm
vialcoro t1_ircfupx wrote
Nope. Pacers have to race from the start, hence why the pacers for lead men and women often drop out between the halfway mark and 20 miles, depending on their fitness and endurance level. Pacers for the masses are different, those are expected to run the whole thing and are generally runners who can comfortably cover the distance in a faster time than what their pacing.
The one exception to this was Kipchoge's 1:59 marathon, where pacers rotated in an out, and that's one of the several reasons why it isn't an official world record.
truthinlies t1_iremc5z wrote
fuck, imagine running a marathon with a giant ass freakin sign catching the wind.
robdiqulous t1_irbzy0w wrote
Never heard of that. Very cool
Car-face t1_irc7h7u wrote
I still think it's interesting that in a race to finish as fast as possible, so much of our speed is determined by mentality rather than just physical ability.
The human mentality of pushing for a target is a hell of a thing.
brett1081 t1_iratucc wrote
Yeah the technology right now is so good for people to really hit their marks. More data on a persons watch than pros had a decade ago
sweetcinnamontoast t1_irabpnh wrote
It’s funny how people aim for whole numbers as goals, I wonder if a lot of these people could go faster if they weren’t focused on hitting 3:00:00, etc.
kergalert t1_irajsh0 wrote
Generally you’re picking a time faster than you’ve previously done and that you think is at the edge of your reach, so it’s probably close.
Distance running is hugely mental as well, so the targeting is really about trying to pace optimally in my experience. It’s less about “kicking at the end” and more about “I need to run x minute miles”, so the end time is planned
Duke_De_Luke t1_iradq09 wrote
We should make their watch go a tad faster without telling them. :-)
yogert909 t1_iray21f wrote
Speaking of running faster, try this. Count backwards while doing push-ups or other strength exercises. ITS EASIER!
[deleted] t1_ircpiln wrote
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V1per41 t1_irb1jb0 wrote
If it makes you feel better, when I tried to qualify for Boston I set my goal at 3:01:00.
The time I needed to qualify was 3:05, and I wanted to make sure I beat it by a couple minutes to make sure I got in. I also knew my fitness level was likely right around this time, so I wanted to be safe and not go out too fast.
If I was in good enough shape to run 3:01, then this pacing would work perfect, if I paced for 3:00, then my final time would likely be 3:03 which would have cut it too close for my liking.
poolguyforever t1_irczb28 wrote
As other posters have replied. I think it is train g strategy to beat the quarter hour marks (and of course many are going to try and best the 3/4/5/6 hour marks.
thephairoh t1_ircff6j wrote
First few comments, no one but you is noting that. Everyone is just responding to the overall incredibleness of the feat
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