Experts Predict Marathon World Record Will Continue Falling, But Not TOO MUCH More, Because Come On
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Leonhard Lenz, Wikimedia
The marathon world record, which fell at this year’s London Marathon to a remarkable 1:59:30, will undoubtedly go lower, experts say—but only to a certain point.
“We will absolutely see someone break the world record again, and probably sooner than later,” said Jack Traven, Ph.D., head of the Human Performance Lab at Bullock College. “The question is, ‘Just how much lower can it get?’”
“And the answer to that,” he added, “is, ‘a bit lower, but just a bit, because jeez.’”
“I mean, come on.”
Traven said he wasn’t surprised to see the 2:00 barrier broken, but now that it has been, it’s time to acknowledge that it can only go so much lower.
“It’s true that we haven’t yet reached the limits of human performance,” he said. “And it’s also true that things like shoe technology will continue to evolve, giving athletes even more of an advantage in their pursuit of a faster marathon.”
“But let’s be real. Sub-2:00 is some crazy shit, and shit can’t keep getting crazier forever.”
Asked how the world of distance running, and humanity itself, might react when the marathon world record becomes so low as to be unbreakable, Traven paused.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe by then A.I. will be able to figure it out.”
