Two hour barrier broken for a marathon

[Samm]

@CanadianJudo

The two hour barrier exist because there was a famous study by Physiologists that stated the perfect human could only run a marathon in an 1:57 ever since then people have been pushing to break two hours this is the first time anyone has ever run under two hours.

Then the barrier (if that term is appropriate to use in sports) should have been set at 1 hr, 56 minutes and some odd seconds, not 2 hrs. And of course men would still strive to prove the physiologist wrong.

[Samm]

@Ex-Pat

Running 26.2 miles in under two hours has literally been the dream of every serious marathon runner for the past 50 years. It’s more than just some arbitrary number.

That’s called a goal, not a barrier. And now that it has been shown to be possible, more will follow … just like occurred with the so-called 4-minute mile “barrier.”

[Oryx]

@Samm

But he did it … therefore, it was not a barrier.

Barriers are overcome all the time, they aren’t insurmountable. But I agree that “barrier” isn’t the best choice of words in this case. Something like “milestone” is probably better.

[PurpnGold]

@Samm

That’s called a goal, not a barrier. And now that it has been shown to be possible, more will follow … just like occurred with the so-called 4-minute mile “barrier.”

I think you are parsing the term barrier way too much. In sports we would call an under 2hr marathon a barrier.

However, you are taking the literal definition and stating that a barrier does not move, therefore breaking a 2 hr marathon isn’t breaking a barrier. The line just moves further down.

I get what it is you are saying but not sure it’s necessary when it comes to sport terminology

[Samm]

@PurpnGold

@Samm

That’s called a goal, not a barrier. And now that it has been shown to be possible, more will follow … just like occurred with the so-called 4-minute mile “barrier.”

I think you are parsing the term barrier way too much. In sports we would call an under 2hr marathon a barrier.

However, you are taking the literal definition and stating that a barrier does not move, therefore breaking a 2 hr marathon isn’t breaking a barrier. The line just moves further down.

I get what it is you are saying but not sure it’s necessary when it comes to sport terminology

Did you read my first post in this thread (#4)? It’s not me who is making too much of it, I’m simply defending the statement. A “barrier” that moves every time it is reached is not a barrier, it’s a goal.

[moonshine]

why would pace runners matter.
its still an under 2 hour marathon

[PurpnGold]

@Samm

Did you read my first post in this thread (#4)? It’s not me who is making too much of it, I’m simply defending the statement. A “barrier” that moves every time it is reached is not a barrier, it’s a goal.

In this case, it is a record (even if unofficial)

[Ex-Pat]

People can use whatever terms they want to describe this runner’s achievement. Your posts come across as downplaying what he did.

[Samm]

I don’t see how you arrived at that conclusion. I didn’t say anything at all about his performance. That speaks for itself

[mwevans1234]

@Ex-Pat

It doesn’t count for an official world record because it wasn’t against proper competition. But then again, neither was Roger Bannister’s 4 minute mile.

There’s an incredible Choiceology podcast episode on Roger Bannister, the 4 minute mile, and the power of round numbers as motivational tools. Highly recommend it (the entire podcast series is solid too).