If you are keen and have queries, please contact Coach Rameshon at 9100 4369 or you can email him at m.rameshon@gmail.com or swift.rameshon@gmail.com. Please refer to website http://flexifitness.com.sg (for more information on him and his programmes)
By Rameshon
Bsc (Hons) Degree in Physical Education, Loughborough University (1992-1994)
Masters in Education (University of Western Australia, 2005-2008)
A sub - 2hrs marathon, is it possible?
London Marathon 2011 and Boston Marathon 2011
Picture 1 - Using various sections of the downhills and a strong tailwind, Geoffrey Mutai does 2hrs 03min 02sec.
Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai erased 30 seconds off the course record in London, finishing in 2hrs, 4 min 40 sec. On the following day, Geoffrey Mutai ran the fastest recorded marathon in history, completing in 2hr 03min 02sec on a relative course which had a number of downhill sections, which includes few uphills, including one Heartbreak Hill.
Geoffrey's time, at least for now, does not count as a world record. At present, the existing mark of 2:03.59 set by Haile Gebrselassie in 2008 in Berlin stands. The Boston course does not meet the record requirements of the I.A.A.F., the sport’s governing body, because of its relatively straight-line layout and overall vertical drop.
It was run, unlike the current world record, without designated pacesetters, often called “rabbits,” although the American Ryan Hall set a very fast early pace without having been hired to do so.
Hence, It will be a good idea to discuss whether the marathon will one day be run under 2hrs.
Even now the sub-2hrs will not be broken for the time being as Emmanuel would need to improve nearly five minutes off his mark in London; Geoffrey would need to reduce the time by more than three minutes off his astonishing time in Boston and more than four and a half minutes off his previous best time. In order to have a crack at the sub-2hrs, one would be required to average 4 minutes and 35 seconds per mile, 8 seconds more than Geoffrey Mutai averaged on Monday. Hence, it is predicted that the world record for the marathon sub -2hr time will have to take some years to achieve, maybe not for the time being.
At present, the half-marathon world record is 58 minutes 23 seconds. A sub-two-hour marathon would require repeating this feat again in the run running the other half-marathon to total it up as a marathon.
The Sub-4min 1-mile FeatIn 1954, Roger Bannister broke the 4min barrier in 1mile race which gave thousands of men
the faith to break the 4min barrier over time.
What do others say about the sub 2 hrs which, I believe, is going to take place somewhere in the future?
Experts Prediction on the sub-2hrs marathon
Mary Wittenberg
President of New York Road Runners and race director of the New York City Marathon.
The two-hour marathon is the same in that people believed it impossible for so long. And I think in just the last 10 years, we’ve gone from thinking, ‘Is it possible?’ to ‘It’s a matter of when'.
Emmanuel Mutai (London Marathon Course record holder)
I think it’s a matter of time before we start running the marathon in two hours
Gebrselassie, 38, predicts that the two-hour barrier will be broken
It will need 20 to 25 years.
Alberto Salazar, 3 times New York City marathon champion turned elite coach
It will not be done in my lifetime.
Note:
By Narayanan
Rameshon has taught in Hwa Chong Institution, plus several schools, and Republic Polytechnic as well. He has won many accolades and he was awarded Merit Award for 1991 marathon performance in breaking the national record of Singapore, at that time. He has made 22 male athletes do a marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners do sub-4 hours for the marathon, as well. He was inducted to the ‘Roll of Honour’ by the then College of Physical Education, organised by Singapore Olympic Academy, in 1998, for breaking the National record repeatedly 4 times, till he did 2hr 24min 22sec).
He also has a Coaching group and he trains them on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7pm at Botanic Gardens. Those interested can call him at 91004369 for coaching assistance, to improve performance. There is also personal training that he does for many in a week. You can e-mail him at swift.rameshon@gmail.com.
