Since 1969, when Derek Clayton broke two hours, ten minutes, for the first time, writers have waxed poetically about the two hour marathon. Like Brutus Hamilton, who in 1939 wrote that no human could run under 4:01.5 for the mile, writers who say that there will never be a sub two hour marathon, are, well, limited in their thinking.
Here is Toni Reavis on the sub two hour marathon….
![]( "KubrickObelisk")
Kubrick’s Obelisk
Every year or so, the talk of the 2-Hour Marathonrises like some Kubrickian obelisk heralding the coming of a new age. Most recently, NYRR featured a Head to Head between English commentator Tim Hutchings and ex-USA Today scribe Dick Patrick – and, boy, don’t we miss his presence at the national rag? In Dick’s heyday in the 1980s through the 2000’s, each of the American marathon majors in Boston, Chicago and New York City would receive a full-page sport’s section preview with course map, athlete bios, and pace charts in the Friday edition before the race. This past October 5th USA Todayprinted not one word about the marathon in Chicago. It’s another striking confirmation how a once vibrant sport has been sundered by flatulent fun-run and charity fund-raising spectacles.
In any case, the 2-Hour Marathon. Dick thought it would happen in his lifetime. Tim thought not. I like numbers. Let them tell the tale.
Since Johnny Hayes ran 2:55:18 at the 1908 London Olympic Games to win the gold medal, the marathon distance has been officially recognized at 26 miles, 385 yards, or 42.195 kilometers. In the 104 years since, Mr. Hayes’ mark has been “officially” improved upon 37 separate times. Performances like Alberto Salazar’s 2:08:13 from NYC 1981 andGeoffrey Mutai’s 2:03:02 from Boston 2011 have come up either short on re-measurement, or deemed ineligible for record purposes due to point-to-point course layout.
So let’s stick with the officially recognized 37 world record improvement down to today’s 2:03:38 set in Berlin 2011 by Kenya’s Patrick Makau.Read more of this post
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Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.
Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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