A lot as changed in running the the past 100 years - especially the speed. The 1908 World record for the marathon stood at a relatively modest 2:55:18. Heck, with a few more miles I think I would have a chance to make the 1908 US Olympic team. I'm just not sure I could handle the ferry to London.
The marathon was first run in the 1986 Olympics, sprouting running interest and new races in the U.S. Here are some fantastic photos from the 1907 Illinois Athletic Association Marathon and other "ultra" events, via the Chicago Daily News archive:
Marathoner Albert Corey and an unidentified runner race towards the finish line of a 100-mile race from Milwaukee to Chicago. Notice the outfits they're wearing. How would you like to go 100 miles in those shoes?
Marathon runners stand abreast on a field before the start of the 1907 Illinois Athletic Club Marathon. I wonder if those men on the left are planning to run?
Albert Corey, marathoner, taking a fuel break.
A spectator looks like he wants to join in.
Athletes running along an unpaved road, beside automobiles. The athletes were reportedly very bothered by the automobile exhaust.
Smog in Beijing
There have been a flurry of stories lately about Olympic athletes' concerns over the air quality in Beijing. There has even been talk of athletes pulling out in fear that the pollution could do enough harm to damage their careers.
One of those athletes is Haile Gebrselassie, a superstar in distance running. Haile's manager has told press that Haile may withdraw from the Olympic marathon for fear that it may cut his career short. Indeed, marathon athletes are one of the groups at most risk because their event lasts so long. Haile is also known to have asthma, further justifying his concerns.
Update: Haile Gebrselassie Abstains from Olympic Marathon
Crowded marathon start
It's a discussion I had with my running partners a few days ago: Why has the national average finish time for marathons been moving up in recent years? I think I have the answer.
About 10 years ago running a marathon changed from a race to an accomplishment. Thirty years ago the people who ran marathons were pure runners. They raced against each other and themselves. Merely finishing was not the goal; their goal was to be faster. There's absolutely nothing wrong with just wanting to finish a marathon, but I think the masses of new runners who only have that goal are pushing up the averages. Regardless, below you can find a bunch of interesting data on marathon runners from 2006, separated by gender and age.
2006 Overall Demographics
|
Percent |
Avg. Age |
Avg. Time |
| Men |
60.1% |
40.7 |
4:31:26 |
| Women |
39.9% |
36.4 |
5:06:36 |
| All Runners |
100.0% |
38.9 |
4:45:29 |
Men's Age Group Breakdown
| Age Group |
Avg. Time |
Percent |
| 0-19 |
5:06:26 |
1.05% |
| 20-24 |
4:27:26 |
3.20% |
| 25-29 |
4:24:22 |
6.26% |
| 30-34 |
4:24:56 |
7.92% |
| 35-39 |
4:21:24 |
9.83% |
| 40-44 |
4:20:44 |
9.91% |
| 45-49 |
4:24:48 |
8.39% |
| 50-54 |
4:35:49 |
6.34% |
| 55-59 |
4:49:25 |
3.95% |
| 60-64 |
5:06:44 |
1.99% |
| 65-69 |
5:22:05 |
0.82% |
| 70+ |
5:51:46 |
0.42% |
Women's Age Group Breakdown
| Age Group |
Avg. Time |
Percent |
| 0-19 |
5:46:36 |
0.74% |
| 20-24 |
5:00:03 |
3.88% |
| 25-29 |
4:58:41 |
7.34% |
| 30-34 |
5:02:41 |
6.57% |
| 35-39 |
4:56:51 |
6.56% |
| 40-44 |
4:57:31 |
5.94% |
| 45-49 |
5:11:03 |
4.26% |
| 50-54 |
5:26:58 |
2.60% |
| 55-59 |
5:47:40 |
1.23% |
| 60-64 |
6:04:20 |
0.55% |
| 65-69 |
6:23:07 |
0.18% |
| 70+ |
6:40:18 |
0.07% |
2006 Finishing Times
| Finish Time |
Total |
% |
Female |
% |
Male |
% |
| 2:30:01-2:59:59 |
7,025 |
1.8% |
563 |
0.4% |
6,462 |
2.7% |
| 3:30:00-3:59:59 |
78,419 |
19.7% |
23,100 |
14.6% |
55,319 |
23.2% |
| 4:30:00-5:00:00 |
73,629 |
18.5% |
32,874 |
20.7% |
40,755 |
17.1% |
| 5:30:00-5:59:59 |
30,336 |
7.6% |
16,034 |
10.1% |
14,302 |
6.0% |
| 6:30:00-6:59:59 |
11,364 |
2.9% |
7,092 |
4.5% |
4,272 |
1.8% |
| 7:30:00-7:59:59 |
3,819 |
1.0% |
2,386 |
1.5% |
1,433 |
0.6% |
| 8:30:04-8:59:59 |
1,216 |
0.3% |
685 |
0.4% |
531 |
0.2% |
| Total |
397,116 |
100% |
158,449 |
100% |
238,668 |
100% |
Expectations had been set high for Gebrselassie this week. Along with the world record, a ton of money was on the line. Fueling the fire was Gebrselassie himself. In a time when most people give the "If I have a good day, there is a chance I could break the record" answer, he replied with a "I should break this" type. There's nothing wrong with confidence, but as we all know in running, you can't have your best day each and every day.
Amazing to me is the fact a man runs a 2:04 marathon and there is a feeling of disappointment in the air. Here is the official report of the race :
Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie won the Dubai Marathon on Friday and prize money of 250,000 dollars, although he failed to beat the world record time of 2:04:26 he ran in Berlin in September.
His failure by 27 seconds to better that record meant Gebreselassie, a former double Olympic 10,000m gold medalist, missed out on a bonus of one million dollars.
Kenyan duo Isaac Macharia and Sammi Korir netted 100,000 and 50,000 dollars respectively after finishing in second and third positions behind Gebrelassie on the flat course around the streets of Dubai.
There was an Ethiopian clean sweep of the podium in the women's race, with Birhane Adere finishing first in 2:22:42 to also scoop the winner's pot of 250,000 dollars.
Adere, a two-time Chicago Marathon winner who has one world gold and two silvers over 10,000m, also missed out on the women's world record currently held by Britain's Paula Radcliffe.
Lose 20 pounds.
Few things are guaranteed when it comes to racing, but one thing is certain: the less weight you're carrying to the finish line, the faster you will get there. Below is a chart that estimates the effects of weight loss on various finishing times.
Time Reduction From Weight Loss
| Weight Change |
5k (min:s) |
10k |
1/2 Marathon |
Marathon |
| 2 pounds |
0:12 |
0:25 |
0:52 |
1:45 |
| 5 pounds |
0:31 |
1:02 |
2:11 |
4:22 |
| 10 pounds |
1:02 |
2:04 |
4:22 |
8:44 |
| 20 pounds |
2:04 |
4:08 |
8:44 |
17:28 |
