Boston Marathon course... slow?

[MichaelMc]

2:03:02, just 57 seconds FASTER than the world record. Guess we'll have to say it USUALLY isn't a fast course.

Also, just to be a pain, I'll point out it was run as a negative split.

Amazing running, amazing finish, so although it is not a world record due to the course layout (for reasons clearly shown today) it was still a magnificant run by Geoffrey Mutai and Moses Mosop. So you run your FIRST marathon, run 53 seconds faster than the world record and finish second... are you happy or unhappy?

[turd ferguson]

I hope you're unhappy. You aren't the recordholder and you didn't win.

Let me ask a question: why not 2:03:01? Is the big board off by a second? When there's a million people watching, don't they get that sort of thing perfect? Rounding error?

[ultraslacker]

would you expect to win on your first? I'd be ecstatic with that kind of performance.... imagine what he's capable of.

[Jwolf]

I'm not sure why he'd be unhappy. Everyone who enters Boston knows that there's no chance they can set a world record.

The second place guy? Well, them the breaks-- he still ran an amazing race. Even Ryan Hall isn't unhappy.

Also curious about the clock.

[Mid_Packer]

Ryan Hall—first America was 4th overall at about 2:04:58
Last year he was 4th at 2:09:41. So he was almost 5 minutes faster.

Prior year Results
2010 2:05:52—course record
2009 2:08:42
2008 2:07:45
2007 2:14:13
2006 2:07:14 ---course record
2005 2:11:44
2004 2:10:11


Oh there was a time when 2:10-2:15 was fast, but now-a-days ...hmmm hard to say what will take to win .

Dave

[jgore]

Let me ask a question: why not 2:03:01? Is the big board off by a second? When there's a million people watching, don't they get that sort of thing perfect? Rounding error?

Any fraction of a second above x.00 is rounded up to the next second. IAAF rules. They never round down because it is impossible to give you a time that is faster than what you actually ran.

2:03:01.00 = 2:03:01
2:03:01.01 = 2:03:02

What it comes down to is that your official time should always be 1 second more than what you see on the clock when you cross the finish line.

[MichaelMc]

I'm not sure we have to put an asterix on the times, but it is probable Moses Mosop never sets another PR. The course was predicted to be 4 minutes fast due to the unique conditions (20+ mph following wind), but I will confess to not thinking it would make so much difference. I wonder what perecentage of that effect is lost when you get into the main pack where all the other runners block a bunch of the wind. Interesting the Elite Women's times were not spectacular, and they got the same un-blocked course.

[ian]

I wonder what perecentage of that effect is lost when you get into the main pack where all the other runners block a bunch of the wind.

Note that many of the lead men spread out across the width of the road precisely so as not to be in a pack. This allowed Ryan Hall to run the best tangents that the course has probably ever seen.

Interesting the Elite Women's times were not spectacular, and they got the same un-blocked course.

Although the final times were not spectacular compared to Paula, there were still some unexpected PBs. I would attribute the >2:20 to the current lull in women's marathoning at the moment, whereas the men's field has gotten so ridiculously deep that there are suddenly 50 guys out there who can get within 2 minutes of the WR in any given year.

[Corpus Cani]

Interesting that Emmanuel Mutai won London and Geoffrey Mutai won Boston - not related I believe.

[turd ferguson]

I'm not sure why he'd be unhappy. Everyone who enters Boston knows that there's no chance they can set a world record.

The second place guy? Well, them the breaks-- he still ran an amazing race. Even Ryan Hall isn't unhappy.

Also curious about the clock.

I was referring just to the second place guy. Is he happy with second or hungry for first?

[Pat Menzies]

Interesting that Emmanuel Mutai won London and Geoffrey Mutai won Boston - not related I believe.

A last name in Kenya reflects something about when or where a child is born, not actual family relationship.
Former 10k record holder Richard Chelimo and double 5k world champion Ismael Kirui were brothers.

[La]

Interesting that Emmanuel Mutai won London and Geoffrey Mutai won Boston - not related I believe.

A last name in Kenya reflects something about when or where a child is born, not actual family relationship.
Former 10k record holder Richard Chelimo and double 5k world champion Ismael Kirui were brothers.

And also the two Robert Cheruyiots.

[Jwolf]

Good article on "Science of Sport" blog about how much the wind really helped on Monday. Estimate is that it gave the elites about 3-4 minutes.

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2011/04 ... -wind.html

[La]

Good article on "Science of Sport" blog about how much the wind really helped on Monday. Estimate is that it gave the elites about 3-4 minutes.

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2011/04 ... -wind.html

My eyes glazed over in the math sections, but overall a great article to explain and account for all the variables that need to be factored into a race performance.

I particularly liked his last few paragraphs talking about what impact these results could/might have on the big fall marathons in Berlin, Chicago and NY.

[HCcD]

Kinda scary to see that Ryan Hall's average mile split pace is faster than my goal kilometer pace time ..

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/80065732

[fingerboy]

Of course upset. But there's always next year to trash your competition!


But to the math in the article, I certainly hope the weather improves in May over the past week or so in Toronto because if I'm racing in May 1st and May 15th than I want the best weather possible and with the 30+km/h westerly headwinds I always seem to be running in, chances are they will be faced during the races (SL has a slight west at the finish, GLTM has a good 10km W but then 10km E).

[La]

You're right - the wind in TO has been brutal the last few weeks. I can't think of many runs/rides where it hasn't been a factor.