Agnes Jebet Ngetich becomes the first woman to break the 29 minutes barrier in a 10km race. The Kenyan clocks an incredible 28:46 in Valencia to break the world record by almost half a minute. Ngetich also split 14:13 for the first 5k – which ties the road world record set by Beatrice Chebet – checks watch – two weeks earlier.
I have no words. Still not over the Ethiopian Women’s marathon record now faster than Abebe Bikila’s PR.
Lot of superannuated athletes who did the best they could with the shoes they had, well, we didn’t have THESE shoes and so our glance may be askance. It just can’t be. And if it is, it can’t be real.
I was just slow, no shoe was ever gonna make me fast.
Paul Herzog, my old poker coach – he’s the one who told me to quit while I was ahead – is a numbers guy. A not-a-runner who knows sports. Why all the hub-bub about these Super Shoes?, he asked. What’s it to ya?, I asked back.
He dropped whatever he was doing at work, ’cause this is more fun, and was happy somebody asked.
Athletic records will last forever, and are meant to be broken. Both of these statements are true for the same reasons: sports and technologies evolve.
Only one active MLB pitcher is within 50% of Cy Young’s record 511 games – Justin Verlander, and his 257 barely squeaks in by 0.3%. Only four other pitchers have 200 or more. The tactics of the game with a heavier emphasis on relief pitching will only cause this gap to widen.
Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell both averaged over 22 rebounds per game for their entire NBA careers. The highest career average amongst players who competed in the 21st century is Dennis Rodman with 13.1 rebounds per game (over 40% less). If you watch old NBA games, you instantly see why…the shooting form is atrocious and everyone missed most of their shots. Every 14-year-old playing AAU ball has better fundamentals than most NBA players in the 1950s and 1960s. The emphasis on the 3-point shot in the modern game also leads to longer and more random rebounds, so one player no longer dominates the boards.
It is exponentially harder to hit 60 home runs today than when Babe Ruth did it. Lionel Messi’s 800+ career goals are far more impressive than Pele’s 1279, because the level of competition he faced in his European career was so much stronger due to advances in game tactics and training philosophy. These facts do not diminish their talent, achievement, or importance to the game. If Ruth or Pele had come along today, I have little doubt they would be amongst the biggest stars in their sport.
It seems to me, as a 50-something unathletic person who is attempting to become a jogger for the first time in his life, that these advances are more disruptive to track records than any other sport. With a few exceptions in the shorter distances, records keep dropping as the shoes become more energy-efficient and training methods evolve. New shoes are revolutionizing how fast both men and women can go, and the record times of past heroes drop further and further in the rear-view mirror. A previously unknown athlete seems to post a new record time every few months.
We can choose to get upset about this truth. After all, there’s no way some random newcomer is a better marathoner than past world champions and Olympic medalists who had brilliant careers and earned our youthful fandom. To quote Mars Blackmon, “It’s gotta be the shoes!” Maybe we should ban these new shoes. They’re messing everything up.
Or maybe we should relax, enjoy watching the competition, and be amazed a sub 2-hour marathon will likely be the standard in the next few years. Hug your classic Nikes close to your chest and know that if Frank Shorter or Greta Waitz were competing today, their talent and competitive spirit would have them running these blazing times, too.
Paul Herzog is a father, husband, and mostly sedentary being, working in IT consulting. The entirety of his athletic achievement was as a mediocre high school goalkeeper, and the last 10 years as a United States Soccer Federation-certified referee. In 2023, he started a path toward jogging for the first time, and recently completed his first 5k, where he ran more than he walked.
He competed in Nike Pegasus 39, size 11, with an orthotic performance insert. The same model he wears for refereeing futbol.
Of course, Paul, thinking about becoming an actual fan of world athletics, can’t help wondering, Where’s Don’s Bronze???