“Those who say something can't be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.” - James Baldwin
Edition of 10/22/24
Too good to be true? 👀
Image: CBC
A week ago, the news that opened TRR News spoke of the world record broken by Ruth Chepng'etich, from Kenya, in the Chicago marathon.
Today again, impressive weather is the topic.
Although there is still no indication of doping, two very strong and opposing movements have occurred in the race media in the last week:
The first of them questioning the 30-year-old athlete's result.
The second one praises and defends against accusations based more on history than on science.
This is because some experts are having difficulty accepting that Chepng'etich's result was achieved without the use of illegal substances.
In the words of journalist and 1968 Boston Marathon champion Amby Burfoot: “We don’t have proof, but we know what we know.”
One of Burfoot's arguments is that historically, when women's records are better than 10 percent slower than men's, there's usually something wrong with them.
In Chepng'etich's case, she was just 7.75% slower than Kelvin Kiptum's men's marathon record.
Another point Amby brings up is the recent history of Kenyan athletes, with more than 100 runners being caught doping in recent years.
Finally, the journalist cites the recent results of the Kenyan world record holder, saying that she ran the 2024 Buenos Aires half marathon, a flat race with mild weather, in more time than the two 21.1 km splits of the record marathon.
Analyzing the numbers, especially when it comes to the evolution of the athlete's results, who has run 15 marathons since 2017, it's hard not to be suspicious.
On the other hand, if it does indeed prove to be a legitimate result, which at this point is by far the most likely scenario, it only makes Chepng'etich's record even more absurd.
Link to full text by Amby Burfoot: https://marathonhandbook.com/opinion-why-its-hard-to-trust-ruth-chepngetichs-marathon-world-record/
Only the best 🏅
Image: Nirvana Europe Website
On the 26th, the IRONMAN World Championship will take place in Kona, Hawai'i, the only stage of the circuit that requires classification.
Each year, two world championships are held, one for men and one for women, one in Kona and the other in Nice, France. In even-numbered years, the men compete in Hawai'i and the women in France, and vice versa in odd-numbered years.
The race, for those unfamiliar, consists of a complete IronMan, with 3.8km of swimming, 180km of biking and 42.2km of running.
As for the classification, there is no set time that athletes must beat to qualify. During previous stages, the best in each category (by age) who are willing to participate in the world championship are chosen.
Since we are mainly talking about amateur athletes, the top finishers are not always willing or able to take an international trip, giving athletes who did not make it to the podium a chance to qualify for the world championship.
About the race: the sea water in Kona is warm, with an average temperature of 28ºC, and the wind seems unlikely to hinder the athletes' cycling. The temperature forecast, however, promises to be complicated with a minimum of 26ºC and a maximum of 32ºC.
It is worth remembering that the race is only done after swimming and biking, and that the marathon should start at the hottest time of the day.
In total, there will be 2,480 athletes. The country with the largest number of representatives is the United States, with 637 athletes. On this list, Brazil is in 8th place with 80 registered athletes.
Definitely a test that is not for everyone 😳
2025 has already started 📆
Image: O2 Corre Website
For the Majors crowd, 2025 is now.
Registration for the Berlin Marathon 2025 lottery has been open since the second week of October, and registration for the Chicago Marathon 2025 opened this morning.
When it comes to Majors, it's impossible not to think about the event from the moment we leave home for the airport until the plane lands back in Brazil. That said, I'll analyze in this text the entire possible journey of the two events.
After the world record for the most participants in a marathon in history, the 51st Berlin Marathon promises a LOT.
The event takes place in the most important city in recent European history, and the sights begin at the kit collection, which takes place at a disused airport from the last century.
During the race, there are many tourist attractions and fans all the time, which helps a lot and makes a big difference, especially in longer races. The organization is satisfactory and the walk before the start is a bit long, but in the end it is totally worth it.
The post-race experience is everything you could imagine of a race in Germany. Excellent restaurants, beer and lots of celebration after the marathon event.
In Chicago, the important thing is the race itself. In a wonderful city that is nowhere near as historic as Berlin, the race is for the city.
The pre-race is incredible, with kit pick-up in an event pavilion decorated with sponsors (mainly Nike and Bank of America). The organization is impeccable, the lines are almost non-existent and the activations are extremely interesting.
The race itself is incredible, with fans filling the entire city ringing bells and there will definitely be no shortage of support. After crossing the finish line, there is a walk to the event, which is open to the public, but nothing too much for someone who has just run 42km.
The post-race event is incredible, also full of sponsor activations and a stage with musical events, a true celebration organized by the race itself after the finish line.
Having said all that, let's get to the important stuff:
Links to registrations (both close on 11/21):
Berlin
Chicago