Olympian Nick Symmonds attempts 1:59 marathon pace

Nick Symmonds is the American two-time Olympian in the 800m who attempted Eliud Kipchoge’s 1:59 marathon pace for as long as possible.

Eliud Kipchoge made history. The runner has become the first person to run a marathon in under two hours. Kipchoge finished the historic event in 1:59:40.

Weeks ago Symmonds, who’s a former professional 800m runner, gave the historic pace a try. He only made it 1K.

The Ineos 1:59 was a beautiful event. The weather was nearly perfect, a little rain (but mostly overcast), with moderate temperatures. Kipchoge was wearing Nike shoes specially created for the event, and his team of pacers executed the race perfectly.

Kipchoge’s 5K pace was a consistent 14:14. According to Athletics Canada, in 2019 only five Canadian men have run under this pace in a 5K race on the roads. His 10K pace was double that at 28:28–our Canadian record is only 11 seconds faster at 28:17.

There are some who believe that Kipchoge’s attempt was too calculated, too contrived and too much about the shoes. Regardless of your stance, it’s clear that 1:59 is insanely fast, especially since a two-time Olympian can only handle this pace for 1K.

posted Tuesday October 29th
by Madeleine Kelly