Funny Facts

It's about Eliud Kipchoge again, the 34-year-old Kenyan marathon runner, who broke the old world record this weekend in Vienna and set up a new one under two hours. It was a great joy to see him breaking the record and I wasn't the only one who was happy for him. It wasn't long till the analysis took over the new and it wasn't about the victory anymore but about how he got it.

Let me be clear where I stand. I'm not a professional, can't even call myself a runner as I had to stop my trainings a couple of years ago and even so i was just an amateur runner who ran for fun, to be healthy and to prove myself that I'm capable of doing it. Maybe those who are participating in races and training seriously for marathons and half marathons have a different point of view, I don't know. Anyway, everyone is entitled to have their own opinion, it's fine. The reason I'm writing this post is not to judge, it's just thinking loudly, as we say in Hungarian.

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A series of factors were mentioned that helped Eliud Kipchoge reach his goal and get the result he got on Saturday. Let me list here the most important ones. One of them was the pace car that helped him keep the pace and not slow down. This is not allowed in official IAAF competitions. This car not only helped him keep the pace but also protected him from the wind that could have slowed him down, plus create discomfort. He also had pace runners who helped him in keeping up the required pace. The other was hydration and nutrition. He was offered both on the go while in official IAAF races this is out of the question. This is like pitstop in Formula , you lose time by doing it but you have no choice, must be done.

Next is his shoes. Eliud Kipchoge was using a pair of Nike Vaporfly Next, which is unreleased according to runnersworld.com and it is online at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It seems like it's fully legal in official races. How is that? I don't know, maybe I misunderstood something.

This article dedicates a lot of space to the shoe analysis. I'm not an expert and have never had Nike in my life but it looks like this pair of Nike shoes is the future. It says it lightweight and comfortable, which is a must in running, and can make you run faster. The disadvantage seems to be the price which is $250. It may be ok for professionals, not for me or other amateur runners though.

The Economist mentions Speedo’s LZR full-body swimming suits that were used by 94% of winners at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and then banned because it was believed that it has given too much advantage to swimmer by reducing friction.

These shoes look very different from what I've seen so far but then again, I'm not up to date with professional runners footwear. The back part looks a bit unusual but that doesn't mean I don't like it. If it helps and saves you from getting injured, then it's all good. As about the color, that's another matter. I hate pink and yet my Asics Gel running shoes are pink and white, not because I like them but because those were the only available options for my feet. However, I believe they could have made him another color, not that it changes anything, just saying :) Maybe I'm just not up to date with running fashion, I've seen a pink Formula 1 car (or two) which was funny in my opinion, so maybe this is a new era :)

What I'm saying here it's interesting what are the factors that are influencing your performance and these are just a few that are making the headlines in this case. I bet there will be other articles, new discoveries to explain why it was possible to run a marathon under two hours. Looking forward to find out.