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I remember when local guys like Amby Burfoot or Bill Rodgers used to win it.
Now for the past few dozen years, East Africans from Kenya and Ethiopa have dominated the event. Last year, the guy ran it in 2 hours, 5 minutes. That's running 26 miles at 4:46 per mile.
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When the average person sprints acoss the street, he or she is not running faster than a 4:46 pace. The average person who has trained and in shape to run the marathon couldn't keep this pace up for a quarter of a mile. Think of it. That is a 72 second quarter. Maybe if you were working out every day at FreshAyer it could be done, but otherwise.... no freaking way.
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The people who can run that fast for so long are really other worldly. You can't even fantasize being able to win the Boston Marathon.Good luck to Peeps Tommy McMahon and Jill Phillips. If you see a Kenyan, get out of the way.
UPDATE!
Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya won in a world record time of 2:03:02... an unbelieveable world record. With temps in the 50's and a tailwind he clicked off 26 successive miles at a 4:41 per mile clip. To understand this accomplishment, it takes a good high school athlete to break 5:00 minutes in just one mile and you are exceptional if you can break 10 minutes for two miles. This guy just ran 13+ of them in a row.