A Historic Milestone in Athletics
On May 6, 1954, Sir Roger Bannister achieved what was once thought impossible in athletics: he ran a mile in less than four minutes. This milestone was celebrated worldwide and considered as significant as Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s first successful ascent of Mount Everest the year before.
Fast forward to Sunday, Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe and Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha made history by running the 42 kilometers of a marathon in less than two hours. This achievement is comparable to Bannister’s feat, marking a breakthrough that has captivated the world of sports.
What Happened in London?
Sawe shattered the men’s world record by an astonishing 65 seconds, completing the event in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds. Kejelcha, who ran his first marathon, also crossed the finish line in under two hours, finishing in 1:59:41. The race was incredibly fast, with third-place finisher Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda breaking the previous world record set in 2023 by Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum in the United States by seven seconds (finishing in 2:00:28).
Sawe demonstrated remarkable speed, covering the second half of the race in 59:01. He pulled away from Kejelcha after about 30 kilometers and made his solo break in the final two kilometers. After the race, Sawe expressed his pride:
“I’ve made history today in London, and for the next generation I’ve shown them that nothing is impossible. Everything is possible, with a matter of time.”
Training and Nutrition
Sawe’s team revealed that he trained by running up to 240 kilometers a week and fueled himself before the race with bread and honey. This high training volume is likely a key factor in achieving a sub-two-hour marathon.
Running up to 240 kilometers a week is beyond what most runners can tolerate. However, high training volume, especially when much of it is done at relatively low intensity, is associated with faster marathon performances.
Nutrition during the race was also well planned. A two-hour marathon is run at such high intensity that carbohydrate intake becomes crucial to maintain performance. According to his nutrition team, Sawe consumed a carbohydrate drink and a gel leading up to the start, then used carbohydrate drinks and gels throughout the race. His reported intake averaged about 115 grams of carbohydrate per hour.
While this is not a recommendation for recreational runners, at the intensity required to run a two-hour marathon, maintaining energy supply and pace late in the race is essential.
The Physiology
Although Sawe and Kejelcha’s laboratory data are not public, the physiology required to run a fast marathon involves three main attributes:
- An exceptional capacity to take in and use oxygen during running
- The ability to maintain a high fraction of that capacity for prolonged periods
- An exceptional running economy, which means using less oxygen at a given speed
Exceptional marathon performances also depend on durability, which is the ability to prevent deterioration of these qualities throughout the race.
The Shoe
Sawe and Kejelcha wore the lightest “supershoe” in history: Adidas’ Adios Pro Evo 3. Adidas claims it is “the fastest and lightest supershoe ever made.” It weighs less than 100 grams.
Supershoes can improve running economy by about 4% compared with conventional racing shoes. The Adios Pro Evo 3 combines several features common in supershoes: very low weight, thick resilient foam, and a stiff carbon-based structure in the midsole. The heel thickness is reported to be 39 millimeters, just under the 40mm limit permitted by World Athletics.
While most runners benefit from supershoes, the effect varies among individuals. Researchers suggest this is due to two ways in which the footwear interacts with the runner:
- The foam and stiffening element can affect the “spring-like” bounce of the body as the foot hits and leaves the ground.
- They can change how the runner moves, including how the foot and ankle work, how long the foot stays on the ground, and the timing of energy return.
As such, a shoe may be capable of storing and returning more energy, but the athlete still has to interact with it effectively.
The Conditions
The conditions in London also likely contributed to these performances. While London is considered a relatively fast course (although not as fast as Berlin), the weather conditions were close to ideal: between 13-17°C during the race, which is at the upper end of the theoretical optimum for marathon running but within the range associated with fast endurance performance.
A Perfect Storm
As recently as 2017, a sub-two-hour marathon was considered unlikely to occur for generations. The best explanation for the performances in London is the convergence of many factors, including exceptional physiology, years of high-volume training, efficient biomechanics helped by the use of advanced footwear, optimized fuelling, and favorable weather conditions.
