If you have any interest in the sport of running, you already know the mythical 2-hour barrier for the marathon has fallen. As this blog is not for news reporting, and this happened barely 36 hours before this writing, I want to share a reflection and perspective on what these results at the London Marathon mean for our sport.
Sure, super shoes help, but they are not what make Sebastian Sawe an elite runner (From RW Instagram feed)
When I ran my first marathon in 1983, the world record was 2:08:34 (Derek Clayton, 1969). Then, it started falling little by little. First by a few seconds, then surprisingly faster. As it approached the 2-hour mark, Nike put on the Eliud Kipchoge show in 2019, where he ran 1:59:40. Sure, it wasn’t official, and it wasnât supposed to be. But it proved that a sub-2 was physiologically possible. And now it has happened in competition.
Was it the Super shoes?
Some would like to think that with shoes acting like springs, these new records mean nothing. As a purist, I would love to think that too, but we live in a world where progress, innovation, and new technologies are an intrinsic part of our lives, and we must accept it. If we didnât, Formula One races would be on horseback, the Tour de France would be on bikes with no gears and iron frames, and running shoes would still be made of leather. The regulatory entities have taken measures to ensure certain basic conditions are met, so it is not a free-for-all. It is a step in the right direction, so we may avoid grey areas bordering cheating.
We must understand that super shoes will not make you, or me, a world-record contender. These runners are the best the world has ever seen. These shoes only provide the edge they need to get that little extra that puts them within the realm of possibility. They were already great runners before they tied those $500 Adidas at the start of the 2026 London Marathon.
Whatâs next?
Back in May 1954, Roger Bannister ran the first sub-4-minute mile. It was a matter of time before he, Wes Santee, or John Landy got there. Bannister did it first. And once it was proven physiologically possible, the sub-4s started piling up. Landy shaved 1.4 seconds off Bannister’s record just 6 weeks later. And two months later, he lowered it again. 72 years later, over 1700 runners have gone sub-4. Still an elite group, but not that exclusive.
Why am I bringing this up? Because it has now been proven possible, expect the record set by Sebastian Sawe to fall again shortly and often. Just as Bannister, Sawe will always be remembered as the first. He is the Neil Armstrong of the Sub-2. Yomif Kejelcha made his marathon debut going sub-2, but 11 seconds behind, so he will always be the Buzz Aldrin of the sub-2. Impressive achievement, but not the first. This will not be an unbeatable record. Quite the contrary, it just established a new benchmark from where to keep improving.
I venture to predict that by the end of the year, after marathons like Valencia or Chicago, the record will fall again. And by the end of 2027, there will be 5 to 10 runners under 2.
Boston: Nike Sign Controversy
Since I am reflecting on recent events at Marathon Majors, I want to chime in on the Nike fiasco at the recent Boston Marathon. For those who donât know, Nike set up a huge sign stating âRunners Welcome. Walkers Toleratedâ, which sparked severe backlash and was quickly removed.
This is the controversial sign placed by Nike in Boston during Marathon week.
Was it insensitive? Was it stupid? Did Nike assume responsibility? Can you do something about it if you were offended? Yes, yes, yes, and yes.
First: No race states that you canât walk. Until then, walk all you want. Orlando Pizzolato won the NYC Marathon in 1984 and walked. Nobody cried foul. Gelindo Bordin slowed down, walked, and was not stripped of his Olympic marathon gold medal in 1988. Want to walk? Walk! And donât give a s*#% about what Nike has to say about it.
What really bothered me about this fiasco was the âoffended professionalsâ taking it to social media. Those who enjoy feeling upset on your behalf so they can feel morally superior as they fight for âwhatâs rightâ. Most of those calling for the pitchforks had no stake in running, Boston, or Nike.
Just like you and me, Nike is protected by the First Amendment to make as many stupid statements as they please. Offended? Act. Donât purchase a Nike product ever again. Show up at their headquarters in Beaverton and picket. A friend of mine didnât like it and sold her Nike stock. She didnât pout on Instagram; she took a stand.
Conclusion: Feel offended? Act or shut up! Pouting on social media is not taking action.
Please share your thoughts in the comment box below.
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This past February 2nd, a controversy was sparked by an article that ran on the Runnerâs World website. It was an opinion piece by a writer named Cole Townsend (whom I donât know). The piece was titled: âYes, Itâs OK to Wear a Finisherâs Shirt for a Race You Didnât Finishâ. Hence, the rebuttal in the title of this blog post.
If you did not finish the London Marathon in 2025, you should not be wearing this shirt.
Townsend states things as: âI think we need to have an honest conversation about whoâs âallowedâ to buy finisher tees,â and âYour hard work doesnât disappear because mile 1 or mile 19 didnât happenâ.
These statements, just as the articleâs title, rubbed me the wrong way. Sure, everybody is entitled to their opinion. Sure, wearing a shirt that states you finished the Boston Marathon when you didnât is trivial compared with whatâs happening in Ukraine. Sure, you are not going to ponder what I may think when choosing your wardrobe. Yet, in my book, it is still not right.
Would you wear an Olympic medal you did not win around your neck, just because you own it? You can proudly display it at home, especially if a relative earned it. I display my dadâs marathon medals at home. But they are hung separately from my earned medals. They are my property, but not my achievements.
My beef with the entire affair is two-fold:
1 â How can an entity of Runnerâs World’s reputation think that publishing this was OK? I am all pro-First Amendment, but you are not obligated to provide a tribune to someone for just about anything, especially if it is unsound, which it should be for runners. Would you run a story advocating the superiority or inferiority of a certain race, or defending a flat earth, just because it is someoneâs opinion?
2 â The article, as the headline clearly states, talks about finisher shirts. A finisherâs shirt is earned when you finish a race, hence the name. Not when you register, not when your boyfriend crosses the finish line, not when you purchase it in a fire sale. This is not a participation trophy. This is between you and your conscience, sure, but in my book, it is still a lie.
I can’t believe Runner’s World ran this article.
Is it OK to wear a military uniform and let people assume you served your country? Would you walk through a mall wearing a priestâs cassock, or scrubs with a stethoscope draped over your shoulders? Exactly. And no, Iâm not comparing military service or serving God to finishing a marathon. Iâm pointing out something simpler: what you wear creates assumptions about who you are and what youâve done. Letting those assumptions stand when they arenât true is plain wrong.
There is a difference between a finisherâs shirt and a race or a souvenir shirt. If you ran London and brought me a hat, I would be grateful and wear it, even though I havenât run it. When I returned to road racing after a 26-year hiatus, I gave my race shirt to my dad as a tribute, since he inspired me to start running when I was a kid. He wore it proudly. But it only said â2012 Miami Marathon and Half Marathonâ; it didnât state he finished the race, even though he ran the distance hundreds of times.
The author concludes with this statement: âWe donât need to start a âstolen valorâ debate. What you wear should reflect what matters to youânot what the internet thinks you’re entitled to. If you care, flip the question: why are you wearing it? If the answer is âbecause it means something to me,â thatâs enough.â
This would be a logical conclusion if the article didnât state âFinisherâs Shirtâ. Thatâs where, in my opinion, both the writer and the Runnerâs World editors went terribly wrong.
Any thoughts? I really want to hear from runners who disagree with me. Please share in the comment box below.
A couple of weeks ago, a runner at the 19th mile of the Miami Marathon experienced cardiac arrest, and even though all safety protocols were followed and applied, he sadly passed. His name was Julien Autissier. He was just 33.
Unfortunately, these episodes continue to occur from time to time, and they cast a bad light on long-distance running. It really rubs me the wrong way because the media doesnât report that people donât just die from running. They usually die from a known or unknown condition that gets exacerbated while running. Or by disregarding basic safety protocols for hydration and/or heat safety during a run.
I wrote a blog post on cardiac health and running back in August 2021, triggered by a fatality in the Montreal Marathon. Today, after the unfortunate incident in Miami, I am rerunning an updated version.
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As athletes, especially runners, we are usually physically fit. It doesnât matter if you weigh 120 pounds and look like a Kenyan or if you are on the 250+ side of the scale with an overhanging gut. You can have an unhealthy body yet still be fit. And this doesnât mean you have a heart disease vaccine.
In the 1982 New York City Marathon, when my dad ran his first 26.2, a French runner collapsed and died. He saw it unfold as he passed by through the ruckus, which made it to the worldâs newspapers the next day. It must have been quite an impression on a 16-year-old kid; 44 years later, I am telling you the story.
Unfortunately, this latest case in Miami is one of the handful of cases each year in which someone goes out for a run and doesnât come back.
If the father of the first running boom in the United States is Frank Shorter, the Godfather is Jim Fixx, author of the mega 1977 bestseller âThe Complete Book of Runningâ. In a pre-Internet, pre-Google era, this book democratized access to knowledge about our sport, including its cardiovascular benefits. This guru went for a run on July 20, 1984, at age 52, and died of a fulminant heart attack. He was in great shape, but his autopsy revealed he had atherosclerosis, with one artery blocked 95%, a second 85%, and a third 70%. His father had died at age 43 of a second heart attack.
Born to run, by Christopher McDougall
If you read the blockbuster âBorn to Runâ, you should remember Micah True, also known as Caballo Blanco. Well, he collapsed and died in 2012 at age 58 while running alone on a trail in New Mexico. The cause was reported as an underlying cardiomyopathy and atherosclerosis, discovered post-mortem. His death exposed how even elite endurance athletes, regardless of how long theyâve been running, may carry unknown heart conditions.
One of the most active and fit guys you will ever meet is Dave McGillivray. You may know him as the Boston Marathon Race Director since 2001. His athletic accolades include running across the United States (3,452 miles) in 80 days, running the Boston Marathon every year since 1973, being a 9-time Hawaii Ironman finisher, and participating in 1000+ organized races. Yet, in October 2018, at age 63, he underwent triple bypass surgery. His family’s cardiac history was against him, regardless of how fit he was. He is one of the lucky ones who can tell his story.
These are just three relevant cases that show that being a fit runner doesnât necessarily mean you are cardiovascularly healthy. These two concepts are not necessarily inclusive.
And then, thereâs me. I wouldnât be honest with my readers if I did not include my personal cardiac experience in this writing. In 2019, during my yearly medical check-up, my doctor told me that even though a stress test wouldnât do much for me because I was a marathoner, I should do it anyway, âbecause you never knowâ. And guess what? You donât know. A congenital issue in my arteries was discovered. Unoxygenated blood was recirculating, bypassing the lungs, which created such stress for my heart that it could have provoked a heart attack. Then, on June 23, 2021, I underwent open-heart surgery to fix the issue. This âunneededâ stress test potentially saved my life. I have run 4000+ miles since, including 2 marathons and 13 halves.
I reran this updated blogpost today because Iâd rather have you in the Dave McGillvray and Coach Adolfo column than in the Jim Fixx or Micah True camp. I beg you to understand that, despite an active and healthy lifestyle, you are not immune to the genetics of your ancestors or the sequels from your unhealthy habits before your active life. Get checked up. Now! You never know. I am proof of it.
Running Through the Ages surprisingly delivers exactly on its title. It is a history of running since we became humans and had to, as the author states in the first four words of the text: âEat or be eatenâ.
Running has been in our DNA since forever
Between the earliest versions of prehumans, between 7,000,000 and 50,000 BC, our tools of the trade were our legs. The author starts by explaining how, as humans, we are very slow runners and no match for most other species. Yet, we could hunt them and rely on them for subsistence because of our ability to run longer.
Our evolution has gifted us with a cooling system, which he describes as the best on the planet. It has also provided us with the Achilles tendon, which returns about 90% of the work put into stretching it, with the rest provided by the foot arch, another spring.
From there, he continues the journey through the ancient world: Egypt, Ur, the Old Testament, Greek mythology, the Olympic Games, and literature. It is fascinating to see how each culture used running to speed up their development and how running competitions became a staple of each culture.
From there, the journey takes us through the Middle Ages and up to the 19th Century when pedestrianism became the rage.
I enjoyed this part of the book because it was about the history and evolution of running as a sport, about winning races and setting records. At first, there were no time devices to allow records of who was the fastest at a certain distance or how much of it could be covered in a certain segment of time.
Once timing became readily available, all changed dramatically. Chronographs were able to split the second into fifths, which was good for certain distances but insufficient for shorter sprints. The evolution of timing, not just the watch technology but the mechanics of automatization, is fascinating.
As more newspapers started chronicling the sport, records became available and we start learning about the first stars. We see the first local sports heroes looking for greener pastures by running in other countries, taking the first steps into the globalization of the sport and the differentiation between professionals and amateurs.
As we enter the 20th Century, when reliable records and accurate times were kept and athletic achievements easily verified, the book becomes dense with names and figures. It goes into detail on each distance, both for men and women. Not that it is unimportant, but for readers who may be familiar with running in this period, it became too much while adding too little new information.
The 2nd Edition includes an update on 21st-century running
The book was initially published in 2001, with its 2nd edition published in 2015. The 2nd edition has a new chapter on the 21st Century, and it goes deep into doping and cheating, which is a new reality in the sport and worth reading.
The conclusion of the book is about the upcoming world of marathoning (this was written before Eliud Kipcohgeâs sub-2 attempt and Kelvin Kiptumâs current world record).
âThe menâs marathon record is approaching two hours. Will two hours turn out to be another âbarrierâ like the four-minute mile? A sub-two-hour marathon requires averaging 4 min 35 sec[onds] per mile, a much tougher challenge than the four-minute mile was in 1954 [âŠ] Road races are open to all and the ordinary runner can compete with themselves or against the best in the world. It is a democratic sport. It is also inexpensive compared to other sports. Most sports require specialized, expensive equipment and facilities. All a road runner needs are running shoes and an open road.â
If you want to learn about the evolution of running as we evolved as a species, this book is worth the time and the money. Sure, it gets dense at the end, but that doesnât mean it is useless information. And you can always skip it if it is not relevant to you.
I welcome your comments about your thoughts on this book in the box below.
Running has made news for many decades. Even though the running boom is more of a recent phenomenon, Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile barrier 70+ years ago, and the Boston Marathon has been running since 1897. But this book has a different approach. As the title states, it has to do with running making history, not just running news. The common thread is that the author witnessed everything covered in the 21 articles/essays in which this book is divided.
His journey starts on July 30, 1948, at the London Olympics, when, as an 8-year-old kid, he witnessed Emil Zatopek become the first human to run the 10,000 in under 30 minutes; through October 2, 2016, when he saw 65-year-old Kathryn Martin become the oldest woman to run a sub-20 5K, and Libby James, at 80, ran 25:11.
A well-written book by an eyewitness of the greatest running moments over 7 decades
Born in 1939, Roger Robinson is a celebrated runner, scholar, and author. A professor emeritus of English at Victoria University of Wellington and a Ph.D. graduate from Cambridge, he is an authority on New Zealand literature. As a runner, the author competed internationally from 1966 to 1995, winning Masters-level marathons in the 1980s and continuing to race into his 80s despite two knee replacements. An award-winning sports journalist and author of Running in Literature (2003), he is a prominent voice in running history. He resides in New York State and New Zealand with his wife, Kathrine Switzer (yes, that Kathrine Switzer), author of Marathon Woman.
The author has witnessed a lot but has also missed a lot. He did not run the first New York City Marathon, nor did he witness Joan Benoit at the 1984 Olympics. But that doesnât take away the impressive collection of first-person accounts spanning from 9 years old through 78.
Robinson saw Abebe Bikila run the cobblestones in the 1960 Rome Olympics, beginning the African dominance in distance running. He was there in 1990 when 26,000 runners went under the Brandenburg Gate, signaling the German reunification during the Berlin Marathon. He ran the 100th Boston Marathon, the 2001 NYC Marathon after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and was there to see Med Keflezhighi become the first American in 31 years to win Boston, just a year after the infamous bombing, among many, many events.
He is like Forrest Gump, serendipitously placed in so many historic events and places when running took center stage. Some as a spectator, some as a participant, and some as one of the multiple moving parts that made the event possible.
There is an interesting essay about his witnessing of what is now the Running Boom. The author spent between June and September 1980 in the United States on teaching commitments and, in the interim, participated in a handful of races. He chronicles the small steps running took to become mainstream. How little races became staples on the calendar, and how the public responded by participating in massive numbers. An industry with race t-shirts, timing companies, nutrition, hydration, media coverage, and sponsorships started taking over, starting at small towns like Fountain Valley, CA, through the birth and explosion of what has become the New York City Marathon.
Beyond a great writer, Robinson is/was an elite runner
As someone who ended up marrying running icon Kathrine Switzer, he delves into an essay about womenâs running. He notes that in England and New Zealand, women were able to run with some but not much interference, unlike in the US, where the stories of Bobby Gibb and Switzer dominated headlines and forced changes.
Because the author is British and has spent most of his life as a New Zealand resident, despite having witnessed many historic running moments in the US, this is not a USA-centric narrative. This makes it even more interesting for many US-based readers, such as me, who tend to see much of the running world through the lens of our local authors.
When Running Made Historyincludes the best description Iâve ever read about hitting the wall. While participating in the 100th Boston Marathon, he writes: âBut suddenly at 18 miles, I started walking. There was no warning, no crisis, no decision. It just happened. I stopped running. My race ended. The tank ran empty. It felt as if somewhere in Newton, there was a dark, fetid hole invisible to the eye, like some dire vortex of fantasy fiction. I fest straight into it. I was powerless, a tattered rag on two bent sticks.â WOW!!
Another gem from this book is: âMarathon Running is a sport of goodwill. Itâs a sport where if a competitor falls, the others around will pick him or her up. It is a sport where never boos anybody.â
When Running Made History is an excellent book for any runner. It is beautifully written and divided into easy-to-read chapters that do not require a massive time commitment. It is a good pick for any runner with the tiniest interest in the history of our sport. It is worth the time and the money.
Please share your thoughts about this book in the comment box below.
đDo you want the key takeaways of this blog post? đ đClick below to watch the video summary đ
Before I answer the question in the title, I want to answer something else: Is this a self-serving post? Yes. It is. I am a running coach. You are looking for one and have questions about how this works and whether it’s a good fit for you. I am here to provide you with answers. So, here we go.
If you Google ârunning coach,â as I just did, you will get over 300 million results. If you Google âmarathon training plans,â the number is severely reduced to just 150 million. How are you supposed to sort through that? How will you find the right plan or coach that is a good fit for you?
A runner I coach told me once that a buddy of his stated that a running coach was a waste of money because you can download a free marathon plan from the internet. My client responded by saying: âIt is more complicated than that. You need to know what you’re doing, and you must read about 40 books. My coach has the experience and has read them all. I donât have time for that.â
According to a data study by RunnersConnect, runners with custom plans ran 10% faster. They were injured 36% less than those using basic, generic plans. If that wasnât enough, they also achieved their goal 54% of the time, compared to 29% with stock programs.
It is essential to know that unless you live in your coachâs city or are part of their running groups, you will see very little of your coach in person, and you may never meet them. This is normal. The only coaches present at every one of their athletesâ sessions are either high school or college coaches or elite coaches. If you are searching for an online coach, most likely you donât fit that description and your goals are different.
So, what are the advantages of hiring Foultips.Run as your running coach:
âș Experience and Knowledge: Iâm the head coach at Foultips.run with over 40 years of running under my belt. I hold an RRCA Level II certification, have completed over 150 races ranging from 5Ks to marathons, and I stay current on the latest scientific and physiological insights in the sport. To learn more about my background, click here. The coaches I work with are handpicked; each one personally vetted and backed by proven expertise.
âș Individualized Plans: Downloadable programs are dime a dozen. Some free, some paid. Those programs, you must understand, are generic and do not consider neither your starting point nor your specific running goals. They apply equally to the Olympic swimmer transitioning to marathon training to the overweight middle-aged want-to-be runner just getting off the couch after 15 years. Additionally, they are not flexible and usually lack cross-training. Additionally, you wonât have access to the person who wrote it should a personalized adjustment be needed.
âș Access to your coach: I cannot speak for other coaches, but with Foultips.run, your coach is a phone call or text message away. We pride ourselves on not just telling the runner what to do but educating them on why we recommend a specific workout or an extra day off. Access to your coach is the primary reason you chose an online coach over a downloadable static program.
âș Tech platform: Foultips.run works with the FinalSurge software, which is included in the athleteâs monthly fee. This platform syncs with multiple fitness watches, allowing the coach to provide feedback based on all the performance parameters your watch records. This makes adjustments to optimize progress a common occurrence.
âș Guidance: An athlete wishing to run needs a different level of guidance than an experienced runner pursuing another PR or returning after a hiatus. Your running coach has the necessary experience to understand the different stages of your journey, so you can be guided accordingly with the correct feedback and resources to navigate your process.
âș Flexibility & Customization: You are not a professional athlete, and life will eventually get in the way. Maintaining a life/run balance is paramount, so sometimes runs need to be adjusted or shuffled. Sometimes it all needs to be scrapped and go back to the start
âș Motivation, not cheerleading: While keeping the athletes motivated is vital, especially during the inevitable downturns of a running cycle, your running coach is not a cheerleader. They will guide you through thick and thin but will not sugarcoat it if you have screwed up. It is never a failure if you get a valuable lesson from it.
âș To read what athletes have to say about their experience training with Foultips.run, click here.
âș To read success stories about athletes who achieved their goals with our guidance, click here.
âș To read our Google reviews, or with to leave one, click here.
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