What does it take to run a marathon in 2:00:35 (as Kelvin Kiptum did at the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 8, breaking the world record set most recently by Eliud Kipchoge at 2:01:09)? It’s gotta be the gait, according to one school of thought. “Kelvin Kiptum’s distinctive running form was key to setting the new marathon world record in the Chicago Marathon,” proclaimed a post-race analysis from one, who used slow-motion video to dissect the movement patterns of the new marathon king. “As he takes off from one foot, his shoulders lift a little and he arches his back slightly, as well as turning away from the foot he’s taking off of.”
Got that? OK, now you try.
No, wait—don’t bother. If there’s one thing we can conclude from decades of increasingly…
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Canadian Running (Digital) - 1 Issue, January/February 2024