New world record for Marathon!

[FellMonster]

I for one enjoy reading Christopher Leigh's opinions. Some will call it cynicism, some will call it realism.....the cruel fact is that not everyone is honest and that people cheat (be it in tests or claiming benefits or whatever).......... where sport turns professional people there is even greater incentive to cheat........some people are probably happy to cheat for the sake of achievement or to be seen as someone to look up to.....

I think it's sensible to take a realistic view of the world rather than view it through rose tinted "always assume the best of people" glasses.

[chris smale]

I for one enjoy reading Christopher Leigh's opinions. Some will call it cynicism, some will call it realism.....the cruel fact is that not everyone is honest and that people cheat (be it in tests or claiming benefits or whatever).......... where sport turns professional people there is even greater incentive to cheat........some people are probably happy to cheat for the sake of achievement or to be seen as someone to look up to.....

I think it's sensible to take a realistic view of the world rather than view it through rose tinted "always assume the best of people" glasses.

Your point is irrelevant.

Two thirty six for a marathon if it is a world record is totally unsurprising for a sixty year old. In fact I am only surpised it is not faster. (Dominion can probably verify whether it is indeeed a record).

We have fell runners in our small community who are better than that. Ken Taylor is one of them.

Pandering to mediocrity annoys me.

[dominion]

Records,
http://www.world-masters-athletics.o..._outdoor_m.php

[FellMonster]

Your point is irrelevant.

Two thirty six for a marathon if it is a world record is totally unsurprising for a sixty year old. In fact I am only surpised it is not faster. (Dominion can probably verify whether it is indeeed a record).

We have fell runners in our small community who are better than that. Ken Taylor is one of them.

Pandering to mediocrity annoys me.

My point may be irrelevant in the context of this thread but it is 100% relevant in the context that you chose to twice mention Chirstopher Leigh in previous responses regarding this very thread.....
I'd hardly call 2:36 for a 60 year old "mediocrity"....would you?

because if thats what you call mediocrity (given it is a registered world record) then you should question your own need to mention in your previous post that you won a bronze medal in the English Vet Champs last year......

[Penguin]

cinsidering he started running when he was 36 and won his first race when he was forty two, he has now broken the world record at 60 and only lost 5 minutes off his marathon time since he started, as per percentage of the world best per age cat, he would or should be on a 2:01, so in fairness for an amuetuer it's a good record..

The previous record holder was Italian Luciano Aquarone, whose time of 2:38:15 had stood since 1991.

just can't belive the record it has stood for so long..

[CL]

Lack of understanding of physiology and it's limitations leads some to believe anything is possible. In addition they make the mistake of prescribing the training methods of champions to everyone else, in the belief that doing so will give the same results.

For a natural, skinny and efficient marathon runner, the limit for a man in a marathon on an out and back course I.e. down one side of the road and back the other is around 2.09. This is what Arthur Lydiard believed in 1978, and I agree with him. So 2.36(6-minute mile pace) for a sixty year old is very reasonable.

Of course if you give him epo,steroids, salbutamol etc he's going to run a lot faster. After, expectations for all other 60 year olds will have risen to unachievable levels.

[XRunner]

More Records,
http://www.world-masters-athletics.o..._outdoor_m.php

World marathon age records

[chris smale]

My point may be irrelevant in the context of this thread but it is 100% relevant in the context that you chose to twice mention Chirstopher Leigh in previous responses regarding this very thread.....
I'd hardly call 2:36 for a 60 year old "mediocrity"....would you?

because if thats what you call mediocrity (given it is a registered world record) then you should question your own need to mention in your previous post that you won a bronze medal in the English Vet Champs last year......

Dominion will understand why I said what I said even though you don't.

By the way, I would respect anything Dominion has to say about running more than pretty well anyone.

[southernsoftie]

I love this forum!!

Why simply say "well done old Japanese chap, for setting a new world-record", when you can start a bit of aggro?

Where would be the fun in that?

[dominion]

Mike Hager in my own club is now 58 and running at a very good standard - 43rd in Midland X/C champs this year. Two years back he set British records for 1/2 marathon in 70:29, and 10k (track) in 32:27.

If you put those times into the predict-a-time mangles you get just under 2-30 for a marathon. So by that reckoning Chris S is right, it is a soft record.

http://www.runningforfitness.org/cal...bmit=Calculate

He also (almost) fits my theory as he only really started running seriously when he turned vet.