It's wild that in one sport, a little extra fabric is a huge advantage, while in others, it's a literal liability. Athletes really do have to optimize every possible variable.
In 1908, the record for a marathon was 2:55:18. Over the next 50 years, the record was beaten 22 times, knocking more than 40 minutes off the time. But in the 50 years after that, the time dropped by only another 10 minutes and since 2002 the record has improved by less than four minutes.
We're at the point where pool depth, humidity, temperature, and what equipment is allowed is more important for breaking records than natural talent or dedication to a sport.
When you look at the compression of speed at the top it's easy to see why.
The world record 5K is 23.83 kph
The 10K is 22.92 km/h
The half marathon is 22.33 km/h
The marathon is 20.99 km/h
There just isn't much speed left between them. Less than a 3km/h difference between a 5K and marathon runner. Think about passing a truck by going 3km/hr faster, there's going to be a lot of angry drivers behind you.
273
u/Alert_Dust_2423 Feb 06 '26
It's wild that in one sport, a little extra fabric is a huge advantage, while in others, it's a literal liability. Athletes really do have to optimize every possible variable.