Berlin Marathon -- live

[HasBeenNeverWas]

All the more reason for him to attack the half-marathon record.
Cheers,
Alan Shank

True. I've always found it odd that Bekele doesn't seem to do many "tune-up" races leading up to his marathons. The ones he has done tend to be like the his road 10Ks, the 15K in India, or the 10 miler in Bern ... set up for him, with little real competition and resulting (for him) in a relatively pedestrian winning time.

A guy with 26:17 and 2:03:03 credentials certainly should have as good of a shot as anyone at 58:23 ... a mark that has stood awhile, even though some regard it as weak.

Unless I'm forgetting others, his only half so far was the Great North Run in 2013 where he faced Mo and Geb. 60:09, but not a record eligible course (I think?).

Bekele might want to hurry on that one too, since I imagine the half record is Kipchoge's for the taking if he really wants to go after it.

Looking it up, Kipchoge's half PR is from what looks to be his debut, Lille 2012 (59:25, for 3rd). He also ran the World Half Marathon Championships that year (61:52, 6th). He ran 3 halfs in 2013 (winning 2, and 2nd in the other) but none under 1 hr. Only 1 half in 2014 (60:52, ftw), 1 in 2015 (60:50 for 6th), and 1 in 2016 (59:44 ftw, against a very strong field). Then none since Nov 2016.

So it looks like most of Kipchoge's 8 half-marathons were merely marathon tune-ups. It's safe to say he is in better shape than when he set his PR in 2012.

[Conor Dary]

"58:23 ... a mark that has stood awhile, even though some regard it as weak. "

Okey Dokey.....a 45:00 10 mile and then finishing the last 5k in 13:23....very weak tea indeed...

[TN1965]

Daniels' vdot table indicates both 26:17 and 2:01:39 are as good as sub-58 half. I haven't checked other calculators, but they are probably similar.

[Conor Dary]

True...there is room for improvement...Tadese went out in 13:55, 13:58...rather pedestrian...

but next 10 k was in 27:25...last 10 mile in 44:28... hardly a weak performance.

The event is raced so rarely on a legal course...And even then there isn't much money...and compared to the 10k and marathon not a high prestige event..I mean Stan Mavis once held the American record and who remembers that...I don't see it going anytime soon.

[KDFINE]

There may have been another "world record" set at the Berlin Marathon. While pedaling on my exercise bike watching the re-broadcast on the Olympic Channel, I couldn't help but notice that from just before the 1:31 mark to just after the 2:10 mark there weren't any commercial breaks. Pleasingly astounding!

[TN1965]

There may have been another "world record" set at the Berlin Marathon. While pedaling on my exercise bike watching the re-broadcast on the Olympic Channel, I couldn't help but notice that from just before the 1:31 mark to just after the 2:10 mark there weren't any commercial breaks. Pleasingly astounding!

It might be a new American record, but certainly not the world record. Fukuoka used to be on NHK with no commercial break for the entire race. I bet there are other examples like that.

[KDFINE]

Obviously, without ever having watched a marathon broadcast while in another country, I should have written "American record" (I know, Canadians et. al are Americans too but you know what I mean).