14-5-2017 What It Was Like to Pace the Fastest in History | Runner's World

NEWSWIRE (/NEWSWIRE) 2 HOUR MARATHON (/2-HOUR-MARATHON) What It Was Like to Pace the Fastest Marathon in History A few American distance runners led the way at the attempt to break two hours—and gained a new level of respect for their competitors in the process. By Erin Strout (/person/erin-strout) TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017, 4:29 PM

Eliud Kipchoge (in a red jersey) follows his team of pacers at the event in , including (in front), (left, in back of Lagat), (directly behind Lomong), (in front of Kipchoge), and (right, wearing a red race bib). GIANCARLO COLOMBO/PHOTO RUN

In the early morning hours on Saturday in  Monza, Italy, Andrew Bumbalough was as (http nervous as he would be for his own race. Yet when he stepped to the starting line on the ://w racetrack alongside three of the fastest distance runners in the world, he wasn’t ww.f there to compete against them—he was there to help them achieve what many aceb http://www.runnersworld.com/2-hour-marathon/what-it-was-like-to-pace-the-fastest-marathon-in-history 1/14 14-5-2017 What It Was Like to Pace the Fastest Marathon in History | Runner's World thought impossible: to break two hours in the ook. marathon. com “As a pacer, you really want to do it correctly /sha and the margin for error was so small,” he said during a phone interview on Sunday. rer.p “What they were going for was so out there. But I had confidence, too—I knew what the hp? pace should feel like and once the gun went off I knew it was going to be fine.” s=1

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m_c You may unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy (http://www.rodaleinc.com/customer- amp care/privacy-policy/) | About Us (http://www.rodaleinc.com/content/about- us) aign Bumbalough, 30, and Chris Derrick %3D (http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/chris- derrick), 26, teammates from the Bowerman shar Track Club, based in Portland, Oregon, were two of 30 men primarily from the U.S., ebut , Eritrea, and Ethiopia, recruited by Nike to help pace the company’s attempt at a ton& sub-two-hour marathon. Other p[im included Bernard Lagat (http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/bernard- ages lagat), Lopez Lomong (http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/lopez- ] lomong), and Sam Chelanga (http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/sam- [0]= chelanga). http

%3A “I was already excited to

%2F run a marathon but now in some ways I’m more inspired and in %2F some ways more afraid, www because seeing that a person http://www.runnersworld.com/2-hour-marathon/what-it-was-like-to-pace-the-fastest-marathon-in-history 4/14 14-5-2017 What It Was Like to Pace the Fastest Marathon in History | Runner's World

.run can run that pace for that long is almost scary.” ners CHRIS DERRICK worl

d.co The team of rabbits, following a car m% displaying a large clock and projecting green lasers onto the ground to mark where the 2Fsit lead pacer should be, was an integral part of the plan to provide as much science, es% technology, and support as possible to 2Fru (http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/eliud- nner kipchoge), (http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/lelisa- swor desisa), and (http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/zersenay- ld.co tadese) in their quest to average 4:34.5 per mile for 26.2 miles. In the end, Kipchoge, the m% 32-year-old Kenyan Olympic gold medalist in the marathon, came closest to the goal 2Ffil (http://www.runnersworld.com/2-hour- es% marathon/so-close-kipchoge-runs-a-20025- in-the-breaking2-attempt), finishing in 2Far 2:00:25. Tadese ran 2:06:51 and Desisa clocked 2:14:10. ticle “I was a lot more nervous before I knew there s%2 was going to be a car setting the pace,” Derrick said. “I actually said to [Bumbalough] F201 before we got over there, ‘They should use 7%2 lasers.’ As it turned out they had already thought of that.” F05 But running at the prescribed speed wasn’t %2F the only measure of success for the pacing group. They also had to follow detailed kipc choreography that required a week of practice together before Saturday, which hoge meant they had to hit the Formula One track _elui in the pre-dawn hours before a Ferrari event took over the facility. http://www.runnersworld.com/2-hour-marathon/what-it-was-like-to-pace-the-fastest-marathon-in-history 5/14 14-5-2017 What It Was Like to Pace the Fastest Marathon in History | Runner's World “Nike had an idea of how they wanted to do drab things, but when we got to practice we kind bits­ of all had to figure it out together because nothing like this had ever really been done sub2 before,” Derrick said. “All three of the guys [attempting sub-two hours] kind of wanted to hr17 stay doing their own routines beforehand so we never really practiced with them.” .jpg

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20It Based on experiments in a Nike lab, %20 scientists involved in the project came up with a triangle pacer formation to block the Was wind for the three athletes. Each pacer covered two laps (4.8 kilometers) at a time %20 and had 30 minutes of rest between shifts. Like The pace that Kipchoge sustained for just more than two hours was challenging even in %20 those shorter increments—Derrick and Bumbalough estimated they could probably to% keep it for 15K, “on a good day.”

20Pa Six pacers were on the course with the leader (Kipchoge) at all times. The most ce% nerve-wracking part of the gig was carefully 20th maneuvering the exchange zones, where three runners would exit the course, three e%2 runners moved to the front of the triangle, and three fresh pacers entered the formation. 0Fas All of this happened every 2.4K without test losing a second of speed, tripping, or causing disruption for the time-trialing athletes. It %20 often required chatter between the runners to Mara make sure everybody was staying close together, they were running the shortest http://www.runnersworld.com/2-hour-marathon/what-it-was-like-to-pace-the-fastest-marathon-in-history 6/14 14-5-2017 What It Was Like to Pace the Fastest Marathon in History | Runner's World distance, and nobody was feeling too thon fatigued. %20 RELATED: Learn more about the man who in% ran 2:00:25 (http://www.runnersworld.com/elite- 20Hi runners/the-simple-life-of-one-of-the-worlds- best-marathoners) stor

During the 30 minutes of rest between y&p[ pacing duties, the runners had access to a sum tent where they found stretching mats, foam rollers, blankets to stay warm, and an area to mar jog and do some strides.

y]= “The first five minutes in the tent I just sort of had to calm down. By 10 minutes, I started A%2 jogging again,” Bumbalough said. “When Eliud was still on pace at 30K, we knew it 0few was going to be a big finish over the last 5K %20 or so. In the tent, there was this excitement everybody could feel, even if we couldn’t Ame communicate to each other in words—we could just sense it. Whatever people think of rican the project, we were witnessing and being part of one of the greatest pieces of running %20 history ever.”

dista What struck Bumbalough and Derrick most nce was Kipchoge’s composure and focus. Even as he crossed into unknown territory—no %20 human has ever run that fast for that long before—his expression remained unstrained, runn his form was fluid, his concentration uninterrupted. He wanted to push a bit at the ers 1:40 mark, but his coach signaled to hold the %20 pace, which was hovering at 2:00:10 at that point. led “He’s just so smooth,” Derrick said. “Even %20 when he was in what I can only imagine was a world of hurt, he stayed pretty serene the throughout. The difference between how I felt http://www.runnersworld.com/2-hour-marathon/what-it-was-like-to-pace-the-fastest-marathon-in-history 7/14 14-5-2017 What It Was Like to Pace the Fastest Marathon in History | Runner's World and how he looked at that pace was pretty %20 incredible. That was a big takeaway for me. way All of us felt like we could do it, but it didn’t feel great. He’s on a whole other level.” %20

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As Kipchoge remains calm, his pack of pacers show the strain of emp averaging 4:34 per mile. CHRIS LAWRENCE

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Bumbalough was impressed with what he 0to imagines was Kipchoge's intense mental %20 preparation to attempt such a feat and come so close to achieving it. brea “It’s part of who he is. He has a Zen k%2 approach and clearly he readied his mind as much as he readied his body,” he said. “I 0two have no idea what he thinks about. Clearly %20 he has something that works well for him.”

hour Over the course of the last seven months, the attempt became a divisive topic among s%E running fans, physiologists, coaches, pro athletes, and other skeptical observers. The 2%8 methods used to aid the runners—including the rotating cast of pacers—made it ineligible 0%9 for official records even though Kipchoge 4and beat the standing world record of 2:02:57. Only Nike athletes were chosen to %20 participate. It was also a marketing strategy to launch new technologically advanced gain shoes—some wonder if they are legal by the standards of the International Association of ed% Athletics Federations.

20a http://www.runnersworld.com/2-hour-marathon/what-it-was-like-to-pace-the-fastest-marathon-in-history 8/14 14-5-2017 What It Was Like to Pace the Fastest Marathon in History | Runner's World The controversy wasn’t lost on Bumbalough %20 or Derrick. Both traveled to Italy not fully new convinced that it was possible for a man to break two hours. It was their exposure to %20 Kipchoge that changed their minds.

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%20 “It’s not often I am a fan of other runners, because I’m trying to of% beat them. I am a fan of Eliud.”

20re ANDREW BUMBALOUGH

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t%2 “I didn’t think anybody could get very close, but then he was so confident that I kind of 0for believed…because he seemed to,” Derrick said. “In a race without the car and rotating %20 pacers, I think we’re pretty far away but I their wouldn’t be surprised if he stays healthy and goes to [marathon], he could take a %20 big chunk off the world record. Perception plays a big role in performance. He’s raised a com lot of people’s expectations.”

petit Kipchoge’s demeanor throughout the week was contagious, Bumbalough said. ors

%20 “The man is a team guy. He had his own car and driver, but when we were going to dinner in% one night he wanted to go on the bus with the team of pacers,” he said. “What superstar 20th in their sport would do that? He is incredibly humble and grateful for the opportunity. It e%2 was cool to be around him—he exudes greatness. 0pro

cess “I’m inspired and ready to do something special,” Bumbalough continued. “It’s not .) often I am a fan of other runners, because I’m trying to beat them. I am a fan of Eliud.”

http://www.runnersworld.com/2-hour-marathon/what-it-was-like-to-pace-the-fastest-marathon-in-history 9/14 14-5-2017 What It Was Like to Pace the Fastest Marathon in History | Runner's World 

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=Wh Eliud Kipchoge celebrates with members of the pacing team in Italy after his attempt to break two hours in the at% marathon. GIANCARLO COLOMBO/PHOTO RUN

20It The best part of the experience, the two agreed, was the camaraderie between all the %20 members of the pacing team. It’s a rare opportunity for athletes at this level to come Was together in pursuit of a common goal and be forced into a situation in which they had to %20 overcome language barriers to communicate and interact with each other. Like

%20 “All week the Ethiopians were leading the cheering charge—they broke into dance to% routines at random times, too,” Derrick said. “Everybody no matter where they were from 20Pa was really celebrating the achievement and it

was a special thing. I understand that people ce% have certain reservations or objections to the whole project but I hope people can look past 20th some of those and see how cool that was for e%2 us as well.”

0Fas

http://www.runnersworld.com/2-hour-marathon/what-it-was-like-to-pace-the-fastest-marathon-in-history 10/14 14-5-2017 What It Was Like to Pace the Fastest Marathon in History | Runner's World Absorbing some of the traits of their East test African counterparts was also something %20 Bumbalough brought home and wants to put to good use. Mara ALSO: What will it take to really break the thon two-hour barrier? (http://rw.runnersworld.com/sub-2/) %20

“The Kenyan and Ethiopian mindset is not in% brash or cocky, but it’s a true self belief that 20Hi they can achieve something,” he said. “I know I’m not going to run a two hour stor marathon, but why am I only considering my next step? Why do I put those limits on what y&ur I am capable of? Does that Western mindset keep me from doing more?” l=ht

Both athletes will be taking the inspiration tp% and motivation to the outdoor track season, 3A% where they plan to compete in the 10,000 meters at the U.S. championships to attempt 2F% to make the world championships in August in . Beyond that, the marathon is on 2Fw the horizon for each of them too. Bumbalough debuted in February at the ww.r Tokyo Marathon, where he finished in 2:13:58. Derrick has yet to run 26.2 miles, unne but knows it’s coming soon. rswo “I was already pretty excited to run a rld.c marathon but now in some ways I’m more inspired and in some ways more afraid, om because seeing that a person can run that pace for that long is almost scary,” Derrick %2F said. “I’ve been moving towards the 2­ marathon stuff for a while and hopefully that will come in the next year to 18 months. hour Being around guys that have run 2:05 has given me new perspective—hopefully it will ­ help me aim higher in my career.”

mar http://www.runnersworld.com/2-hour-marathon/what-it-was-like-to-pace-the-fastest-marathon-in-history 11/14 14-5-2017 What It Was Like to Pace the Fastest Marathon in History | Runner's World

Tags: 2 Hour Marathon (/2-hour-marathon) atho Racing News (/tag/racing-news) n%2 Eliud Kipchoge (/tag/eliud-kipchoge) Chris Derrick (/tag/chris-derrick) Fwh Elite Runners (/tag/elite-runners)

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