Chasing time: The quest to break the two-hour marathon

Nike’s recent much-publicized Breaking2 initiative -- to beat the two-hour marathon -- had the running community abuzz about the doability of the feat. With both running experts and enthusiasts weighing in on such herculean attempt, it is important to extract the valid points from all the discussions. 

Image source: askmen.com

Experts from the field of sports physiology agree that a sub-two-hour marathon is feasible. However, it requires a perfect blend of variables. For instance, Dr. Michael Joyner of the Mayo Clinic calculated in 1991 that 1:57:58 is the physiological limit for a man in the marathon, the best possible time for an athlete with a maximal O2 uptake (VO2max) of 84 ml.kg-1.min-1, a lactate threshold of 85 percent of VO2max, and exceptional running economy. 

Meanwhile, Alex Hutchinson of Runner’s World concluded that it would be in the year 2075 when the sub-two marathon is finally conquered. In his article, Hutchinson, after assembling a database of more than 10,000 top marathon performances, crunching numbers, and plotting trends, identified several factors that need to align to create the perfect race for the perfect runner. 

While the quest to break the two-hour marathon seems impossible for now (Nike’s attempt ended with Kenyan Olympic gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge clocking in at 2:00:25), several groups are still pressing on to conquer the dream. There’s the Sub2HR Project, initiated in 2014 by Yannis Pitsiladis, a professor of sports and exercise science at the University of Brighton in Britain. The Sub2HR Project is eyeing to break the two-hour barrier within five years. Another project is spearheaded by Nike archrival, Adidas, though details are scarce on the company’s sub-two effort. 

Image source: qz.com

Seasoned business executive Steven Rindner is also a running enthusiast. For more articles on the world of running, visit this blog.