Blown Away

Prior to April 17, 2011, there had been ten sub-2:05 marathon performances in the history of the world.

Thirty-six hours later, there are half again as many. On Sunday, Emannuel Mutai ran 2:04:40 to win London on a perfectly still day. On Monday, Geoffrey Mutai ran 2:03:02 to win Boston with the wind at his back nearly every step of the way.

Before we get to the wind, lets take a few moments to admit that what we just saw at Boston was, under ANY conditions, amazing. I have always laughed at the idea of 2:00 marathon, saying it wouldn't happen in my lifetime. But watching Mutai sprinting down the final meters of Boylston Street with the clock reading 2:02:xx blew my mind.

And lest I forget, the women's race was just unbelievable. Forget about the times, the seesaw battle between Kilel and Davila was tremendous. I really hoped Davila would get the win, but she did everything she could and it wasn't quite enough. However, she now has the fastest time ever on the Boston course by an American -- 2:22:38 -- eclipsing Joan Samuelson's astonishing 2:22:43 from 1983.

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Prior to Boston 2011, almost all the really fast marathons have been at Berlin, Frankfurt, or Rotterdam. These are proper, legal courses that do not have a drop in net elevation and do not offer the POTENTIAL of a point-to-point tailwind. Boston fails both tests, and performances at Boston are not given record consideration.

So it is left to us to appreciate those performances with a different set of standards. To wit: as anyone who has run it knows, Boston hurts you. It pounds the quads into pulp, and terrorizes the hamstrings with its rolling hills and uneven pavement. You can have all the tailwind in the world, but that won't guarantee you a pain-free race; just ask Kim Smith.

Secondly, for all their charms, Berlin, Frankfurt, and Rotterdam are all about the records. They are pancake-flat courses and the organizers always provide multiple pace-setters to give the favorites a chance to tuck in and draft at 1:02 half-marathon pace. Nothing wrong with that, but the only pace-setters at Boston are the actual runners who hear the siren song that whispers in their ears that it's ok to go out fast because they feel so GOOD in the early miles.

Now, about that wind...

I am almost an old-timer now, and as such, I am qualified to tell you that a marathon day such as April 18, 2011 comes along only once every 15-20 years. In fact, the last one was in in 1994. I had the good fortune to run Boston that year. It was a cool day and there was a strong tailwind for the first half of the race. I vividly remember passing under a banner that had been strung across Rt. 135 at about the 15K mark and seeing it blown nearly horizontal in the direction I was heading. I was giddy with the feeling of having hit the meteorological jackpot. Eventually, that strong Southwest breeze became more of a crosswind, but for a while, I felt like I had someone pushing me from behind. I ran 2:31 that day, which is by far my best time at Boston. A lot of other people ran fast that day, too. For example...

In 1994 Cosmas Ndeti won his second of three consecutive races in a course record (and lifetime personal best) 2:07:15. Uta Pippig won her second of three consecutive races in a course record (and lifetime personal best) 2:21:45. Heinz Frei won the men's wheelchair race in a course record (and lifetime personal best) 1:21:23. Jean Driscoll won the women's wheelchair race in a course record (and lifetime personal best) 1:34:22. Well, you get the idea...

The wind helps. It helps a lot. But don't try to figure out exactly how much; that path leads to madness. Not everyone benefits from the wind equally. And you still have to be smart enough not to go out too fast. People crash and burn with a tailwind at their back, too.

For the same reason, don't get all huffy about how records set at Boston should be recognized. They shouldn't. We should just appreciate them for what they are. Really, really impressive fast runs that leave us pretty much speechless. Even Ryan Hall, who recorded the fastest marathon ever run by an American (perhaps quieting his critics for a few days, at least) seemed unable to put it into words.

"I'm a 2:04 marathoner," he said. For once, I'm ready to join him and the choir and shout out, "Amen!"


Sub 2:05 Marathons prior to 4/17/2011 (including Boston):

1. Gebrselassie 2:03:59 (2008)
2. Gebrselassie 2:04:26 (2007)
3. Kwambai 2:04:27 (2009)
3. Kibet 2:04:27 (2009)
5. Makau 2:04:48 (2010)
6. Gebrselassie 2:04:53 (2008)
7. Tergat 2:04:55 (2003)
7. Mutai, G. 2:04:55 (2010)
9. Korir 2:04:56 (2003)
10. Kipsang 2:04:57 (2010)

Sub 2:05 marathons after 4/18/2011 (including Boston):

1. Mutai, G. 2:03:02 (2011)
2. Mosop 2:03:06 (2011)
3. Gebrselassie 2:03:59 (2008)
4. Gebrselassie 2:04:26 (2007)
5. Kwambai 2:04:27 (2009)
5. Kibet 2:04:27 (2009)
7. Mutai, E. 2:04:40 (2011)
8. Makau 2:04:48 (2010)
9. Gebrselassie 2:04:53 (2008)
10. Gebrmerriam 2:04:53 (2011)
11. Tergat 2:04:55 (2003)
11. Mutai, G. 2:04:55 (2010)
13. Korir 2:04:56 (2003)
14. Kipsang 2:04:57 (2010)
15. Hall 2:04:58 (2011)