Category Archives: Records & Statistics

Wake Up and Smell the Carbon!

Posted on January 13, 2020 by

Stacked cushioning arrangement for shoe sole structure, from US patent application US20190365034A1.   “…Things move on, and innovation is normal. But when the innovation is so large and sudden, what happens is that it distorts the contribution made by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Marathon, Records & Statistics, Shoes | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Eliud Kipchoge Breaks the Marathon

Posted on September 17, 2018 by

If a marathon can be said to stand for something, it must surely stand for the idea that speed comes at a price. Run too fast at the start, expend your energy too early, and you are sure to come … Continue reading →

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Roger Bannister’s Century

Posted on March 5, 2018 by

“Records are the bare bones of athletics, like numbers to a mathematician. Unless given a human touch they have no life, no appeal. Statisticians may juggle with them, some perhaps finding in their concentration on record figures a vicarious fulfillment … Continue reading →

Posted in In Memoriam, Records & Statistics, Track | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Track and Field News: A Belated Appreciation

Posted on January 29, 2018 by

Track and Field News (TFN), the self-proclaimed “Bible of the Sport,” recently announced that the December 2017 issue of the monthly magazine would be its last. From now on, TFN would provide only online content. When I read the news, … Continue reading →

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What is happening to American Runners?

Posted on July 31, 2017 by

Chart by Jens Jakob Anderson and Ivanka Andreeva Nikolova, runrepeat.com When it comes to running, I live in a bubble. I spend some part of every day running, or coaching, or writing, or thinking about running. My social life revolves … Continue reading →

Posted in Records & Statistics, Running Research | 9 Comments

Slowing down faster

Posted on July 24, 2017 by

  A couple of days ago, I observed a milestone that I had been dreading for a while: I turned 59 ½.

Posted in Records & Statistics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

IAAF’s misguided idea for sanitizing the record book

Posted on July 17, 2017 by

“…We want to change the concept of a record and raise the standards for recognition to a point where everyone can be confident that everything is fair and above board.” — European athletics president Svein Arne Hansen “It is a … Continue reading →

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Path of Least Resistance

Posted on May 8, 2017 by

“My opinion is that the single most effective tactic used on Saturday was to have Kipchoge run most of the distance close behind a Tesla vehicle onto which had been mounted a large wind shield pretending to be a clock.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Marathon, Records & Statistics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Rio 2016: American Distance Revival

Posted on August 22, 2016 by

  “Are you f***ing kidding me?!!”                                           – Matt Centrowitz Sr.

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The National H.S. 4 x Mile record goes down… to crickets

Posted on June 27, 2016 by

This will be a short post, but maybe of some interest to fans of high school track and field. A few days ago, my friend Josh alerted me to the fact that Flotrack had posted a video of the 2016 … Continue reading →

Posted in High School Runners, Records & Statistics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments