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Yesterday Eliud Kipchoge ran 2:01:39 at the Berlin Marathon to break the world record, becoming the first person in history to go under 2:02 on a record-eligible course. Here are a few fun facts in the wake of Kipchoge’s mark.
Kipchoge’s average pace per mile: 4:38.4
Kipchoge’s average pace per 5K: 14:24.9
Kipchoge’s average pace for one lap of a standard outdoor track: 69.19 seconds
Kipchoge’s time at halfway: 61:06
Kipchoge’s split for his second half marathon: 60:33
Number of Americans who have run faster than 60:33 for a half marathon on a record-eligible course: 3 (Ryan Hall, Leonard Korir, and Dathan Ritzenhein)
Average of Kipchoge’s five fastest marathons on a record-eligible course: 2:03:21
Watch: Runners attempt to maintain Kipchoge's world record pace.
Number of people who have run one marathon faster than Kipchoge’s five-fastest marathons average on a record-eligible course: 4 (Dennis Kimetto, Kenenisa Bekele, Wilson Kipsang, and Emmanuel Mutai)
Amount by which Kipchoge lowered the world record: 1:18
Last time the men’s world record was broken by a larger margin: 1967 (Derek Clayton broke it by 2 minutes and 24 seconds)
Amount by which the men’s world record has fallen since Kipchoge was born on November 5, 1984: 6:26
Distance covered at Kipchoge’s world record pace in 6:26: 1.39 miles
Number of times the men’s world record has been broken since 2002: 7
Number of those new records set in Berlin: 7
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Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner’s World and Running Times. Much of his writing translates sport science research and elite best practices into practical guidance for everyday athletes. He is the author or coauthor of several running books, including Running Is My Therapy, Advanced Marathoning, and Meb for Mortals. Scott has also written about running for Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and other members of the sedentary media. His lifetime running odometer is past 110,000 miles, but he’s as much in love as ever.
