Peres Jepchirchir (This image was downloaded from the Facebook page of World Athletics and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended)

Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir set a new world in the women only half marathon, sprinting to a close finish in the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships held in Gdynia, Poland on Saturday, October 17, 2020. She clocked 1:05:16. Second place went to Melat Kejeta of Germany, who finished in 1:05:18 (a new women only European record) while Yalemzerf Yehualaw of Ethiopia finished third in 1:05:19 (a personal best).

Notably all three athletes improved upon the previous world record for the category (a report on the website of World Athletics said that the top six women finished in under-66 minutes and the top nine within 67). Plus, as per the race commentary, there were several personal bests in the timings returned by the top 30 finishers. It was only in early September that Jepchirchir had broken the women-only race world record in the half marathon clocking 1:05:34 for the distance in Prague, improving upon the previous record of 1:06:11 set by Netsanet Gudeta of Ethiopia at the World Half Marathon Championships in 2018. Earlier still, at the 2016 edition of the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff, UK, she had set a then world record of 1:07:31.

In the men’s half marathon in Gdynia, Uganda got its first individual medal at the event as 19 year-old Jacob Kiplimo provided a progressively fast finish to an initially slow race, covering the distance comfortably in 58:49. It was a new championship record and a national record for Uganda. Second place went to Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie (58:54); Ethiopia’s Amedework Walelegn (59:08) finished third. Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei (59:21), on whom the pre-race arc lights had focused, finished fourth in his maiden half marathon. According to the race report by World Athletics, the first ten runners finished within 60 minutes, a first for the event and only the second time it has ever happened.  

The women’s half marathon was a fast race, surprising given what was initially expected from the course specially designed for a half marathon amid pandemic. The event was rescheduled from its original date in March and the course – a five kilometer-loop – was adapted to ensure any potential risks are kept to a minimum. “ The course takes in some of the main roads in the city center with a slight uphill section along Swietojanska Street, then the final stretch heads back down towards the sea with the finish line located on the main city beach in Gdynia,’’ a write-up dated October 13, 2020, available on the website of World Athletics, said. It wasn’t a flat, fast course all through; the type preferred for record breaking attempts. According to the race commentators, it had seven corners including a brief but slightly sharp downhill and a U-turn. Saturday’s timings in the women’s half marathon were despite this. On the other hand, weather conditions were very good.

It was also a race fraught with incidents. Very early itself a block of 10-12 runners, mostly from East Africa, shot off to be lead pack by a significant margin. The first five kilometers went by in 15:20; it was the first hint of likely world record breaking performance. Setting the pace at this stage was Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei. By 18:00 the first of the casualties caused by the blistering pace manifested with an Ethiopian runner coming lose off the pack and trailing. At 26:00, there were three Ethiopian runners tucked comfortably into the lead pack running at the shoulders of the Kenyans setting the pace. Notwithstanding the sizable gap between the leaders and the rest, there was active running right through the ranks for there were team positions at stake. At around 28:50, at the sharp corner at the base of the slightly steep downhill, the first incident occurred in the lead pack – defending champion Netsanet Gudeta seemed to skid slightly; she fell down. She picked herself up quickly and continued running but given the pace, a significant gap had already opened up between her and the lead pack. For her, it was race lost, right there. At the 2018 edition of the event, she had won in world record time of 1:06:11.

At about 40:01, Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya began to accelerate. At 48:00, the lead runners entered the final lap. Around 50:15, the Ethiopians, who had been running efficiently at the shoulders of the Kenyans, appeared to move ahead; they formed two of the three runners (the other being Kenyan) forming the front wall of the lead pack. The strongest runner at this stage seemed to be Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia. At around 54:00, amid the bunching of runners in the lead pack, Yeshaneh and Jepkosgei came too close to each other; they stumbled and went down. At 1:00:00, it was Kenya’s Jepchirchir and Yalemzerf Yehualaw of Ethiopia who were running stride for stride up front, closely followed by Kejeta of Germany. It was a tight trio with Yehualaw looking strong. At roughly 1:05:00, Jepchirchir surged past the Ethiopian runner who later suffered a minor stumble some 50 meters from the finish line costing her the second spot. The final race results played out as mentioned earlier.

Jacob Kiplimo (This image was downloaded from the Facebook page of World Athletics and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended)

Unlike the women’s race, the men’s half marathon took time to gather pace. For much of the first half of the race, the lead pack was relatively big and separated from the rest of the runners by a series of not-so-significant gaps. The slow pace of this stage (puzzling given how fast the women had run and weather conditions continued to be good) was theorized to potentially favor a top notch track athlete like Cheptegei, who had come to the event after a couple of record breaking performances. Although this was his first appearance at a half marathon, in his training for the event, he had put in distances of up to 35 kilometers. Around 29:00 Cheptegei began to slowly pull ahead. But till 35:10, it was an unclear lead as at various points Cheptegei, Andamlak Belihu of Ethiopia, Kiplimo and South Africa’s Stephen Mokoka exchanged leads. By around 38:24, as Kandie took the lead, Cheptegei had slipped to tenth position although with bridgeable gap to the front. However at around 44:20, even as he had moved up to third place the runners in front were increasing the gap to levels where the commentators wondered whether the race was slowly slipping away from Cheptegei. The second half of the race was quite fast. By 45:24, Kiplimo had taken the lead and having settled into that slot (he lost it temporarily by a slender margin to Kandei at around 52:30), proceeded to steadily crank up the pace. Eventually, Walelegn too got past Cheptegei, producing the final results as they played out.      

The event featured ranking by team as well. “ Team results are decided by the aggregate of times recorded by the first three finishers of each team. The team with the fastest aggregate time will be judged the winner,’’ the write-up dated October 13, on the website of World Athletics, said. According to it prizes would be awarded to the top six individuals and the top six teams in both races. “ A US$50,000 bonus will be awarded to any athlete who breaks a world record,’’ the write-up said. In Gdynia, the top teams from the men’s category were Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda in that order. On the women’s side, the final pecking order was Ethiopia, Kenya and Germany. Starting August 2020, despite the impact of pandemic and lockdown on training and events, there has been a spate of new world records in distance running. Disciplines which witnessed such performances include the men’s 5000 meters and 10,000 meters, women’s 5000 meters, one hour-run for both genders and the women only half marathon,

(The author, Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.)

Illustration: Shyam G Menon

This is an article by invitation. Nigel Smith is currently Head Coach of Kanakia Scott Racing Development. In this piece, he provides an overview of the Giro d’Italia, one of road cycling’s three Grand Tours. Nigel is a Level 3 Cycling Coach, accredited through his National Federation, British Cycling, in the UK. He is based in Mumbai.

The 2020 edition of the Giro d’Italia is currently well underway.

The unusual global situation has created an even more unusual race.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event’s regular calendar slot of mid-May was shifted to October. This created various knock-on anomalies whereby riders who, at the beginning of the year were focussed on the ` traditional’ Grand Tour calendar of Italy (May), France (July) and Spain (September), have found themselves having to totally re-align their training to a heavily back-loaded calendar of events. Additionally, the climatic challenges faced in Italy at this time of the year are not what riders typically expect, the wind and rain atop the `mere’ 1658m stage 9 finish at Roccaraso was clear to see. Rain and autumnal leaves swirled across the road, in contrast to the melting snow we sometimes see in May.

But how important is the Giro d’Italia? Where does it rank in relation to other races? What is its difficulty in relation to other stage races? What is its history?

Let’s first establish what a ` Grand Tour’ is in cycling parlance. A Grand Tour is a three-week stage race (actually held over 23 days as there are two rest days) consisting of 21 stages over various types of road terrain. There are usually (but not exclusively) 5-6 ` high mountain’ stages, 6-7 ` intermediate’ (rolling) stages, 5-6 ` flat’ stages and a couple of individual time trials (sometimes there’s a team time trial as well).

In road cycling, there are only three Grand Tours – the eldest and most famous is the Tour de France, first held in 1903 and the most widely recognised and followed bike race in the world. Italy’s equivalent, the Giro d’Italia, is only six years younger than its French cousin, first held in 1909. The third, and youngest, Grand Tour is Spain’s Vuelta a España; a mere 85 years old.

The teams that compete in the Grand Tours will always be the same 18-19 ` World Tour’ teams. These teams make up the equivalent `Premier League’ of teams and compete at all the prestigious one day races, stage races and Grand Tours. The start list is then usually bolstered by 3-4 local pro teams from the second tier ` Pro Conti’ division.

So, what of the Giro’s importance? To the fans, it is generally a close second to the Tour de France. To the riders, it’s a Grand Tour – they covet a Maglia Rosa (` pink jersey’ awarded to the leader) almost as much as a Maillot Jaune (` yellow jersey’, awarded to the leader of the Tour de France). But if you’re a ` Grand Tour’ specialist (example: in recent times the likes of Spain’s Alberto Contador, the British-Kenyan cycling ace Chris Froome and Columbia’s Egan Bernal) then winning three week stage races is what you’re paid to do and winning all three cements your name in the history books (only six riders have achieved it).

How hard is the Giro? It’s easily as hard as its two counterparts. The Giro has recently – over the past 10 years – tried to create its own ` niche’ by incorporating brutally hard (and now iconic) mountain passes. The Stelvio, The Mortirolo, The Gavia and The Zoncolan are all now sought out and conquered by amateur enthusiasts, just as the French L’Alpe D’Huez, Tourmalet and Mt Ventoux are every year. Each Italian climb has its own unique character, whether it’s the height of the Stelvio (2758m), average gradient of the Mortirolo (12.5kms at an average of 10.4 per cent!) or the maximum gradient of the Zoncolan (20 per cent).

While France has access to two main mountain ranges – the Alps and the Pyrenees, Italy borders the Alps across its northernmost regions and has its own range – the Dolomites in the country’s uppermost north east region.

To the Italians (fans and riders alike), the Giro will always be the most important race on the calendar. Indeed, it wasn’t until the 33rd edition in 1950 that a non-Italian (the Swiss, Hugo Koblet) won. Through the 1980s, the race was big enough to satisfy the aspirations of most Italian cyclists and produced some epic home-grown battles, notably the one between Francesco Moser and Giuseppe Saronni, interspersed with non-Italians making their own history (the Frenchman Bernard Hinault won in ’80, ’82 and ’85 – one of the fabled ` six’ to have won all three grand tours).

Giro d’Italia (This 2018 photo was downloaded from the Facebook page of the event and is being used here for representation purposes. No copyright infringement intended)

The race also has its share of controversy. In 1984, local favourite Francesco Moser finally won, beating French favourite Laurent Fignon to second place but only after accusations of drafting behind team cars and being pushed up the mountains; not to mention – the race’s highest summit stage, over the Stelvio, getting mysteriously cancelled due to (non-existent) snowfall (it was later claimed that Moser would lose too much time to Fignon over the Stelvio and so the organisers concocted a reason to avoid it).

In 1987, Ireland’s Stephen Roche invoked the ire of not only the partisan ` Tifosi’ (the name given to the Italian fans) but also the majority of his own team (the Italian Carrera Team) and especially his Italian team-mate (and Tifosi favourite) Roberto Visentini, by riding off the front of the bunch and gaining time on his own team-mate. He was to hold the advantage all the way to the finish, enduring taunts, abuse, physical punches and spitting.

More recently, who can forget Chris Froome’s superb 80km attack on stage 19 of the 2018 race to propel himself into the lead, which he held onto, thus claiming his first Giro victory and seventh Grand Tour (and becoming the sixth rider to win all three Grand Tours).

Like the Tour de France, the Giro has looked to broaden its appeal and global reach by starting outside its own borders. Recently it visited Israel, Holland, the UK and Denmark to name four. However, just like the Tour de France showcases Paris in the final stage, the Giro always finishes in Milan against a backdrop of much Italian fanfare.

As the sport continues to find ways to extend its global reach and engage new audiences, we as fans can sit back and marvel at our favourite teams and some of the biggest names in the sport do battle over iconic stretches of road. It inspires us further to ride our bikes. We will always have our preferences and favourites in terms of events, but as long as I can tune into live cycling coverage for three weeks at a time, three times a year, I don’t mind where the racing comes from!

(The author, Nigel Smith, is the Head Coach of Kanakia Scott Racing Development. For more on Nigel please click on these links: https://shyamgopan.com/2018/06/16/there-is-no-reason-why-that-structure-cannot-exist-in-india/ &  https://shyamgopan.com/2018/12/22/if-a-rider-still-wants-to-be-part-of-the-team-the-door-is-open-nigel-smith-head-coach-scott-sports-india/)

Joshua Cheptegei. This photo was downloaded from the Facebook page of the athlete and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended.

Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei scripted a world record for the second time in less than two months, completing the 10,000 meters track race in 26:11:00 at the NN World Record Day event in Valencia on October 7, 2020. He bettered the previous record in the discipline held by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele; 26:17.53 set in 2005. On August 14, Cheptegei had taken down another of Bekele’s world records when he finished the 5000 meters at the Wanda Diamond League meet in Monaco, in 12:35.36. Cheptegei, is the tenth man in history to hold world records for the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters concurrently, a report on the latest development available on the website of World Athletics, said.

In the women’s category, Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey set a new world record in Valencia, when she completed the 5000 meters on track in 14:06.62. She improved upon the previous world record of 14:11.15 that had stood in the name of her compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba since 2008, the report from World Athletics, said. In November 2019, Gidey had been in the news for setting a new world record for women in the rarely run 15 kilometers. At the 15 kilometers race at the Zevenheuvelenloop (Seven Hills Run) in Nijmegen, Netherlands, held on November 17, she had clocked 44:21, more than a minute better than the previous world best of 45:37 Joyciline Jepkosgei set in Prague two years earlier en route to her first world record in the half marathon. Gidey is silver medalist in 10,000 meters from the 2019 edition of the World Athletics Championships.

Running in the 5000 meters, 10,000 meters and the half marathon appear to have got off to a brilliant start as global athletics recommences sports meets in the time of pandemic. Cheptegei’s 5000 meters world record from August, was a stunning reminder that notwithstanding COVID-19, lockdown and its cumulative impact on training schedules and events, athletics is alive and kicking. That performance had made him the world record holder in 5000 meters across both track and road. On February 16, 2020, he had clocked 12 minutes 51 seconds at the Monaco Run 5km. He shaved 27 seconds from the previous record of 13:18 set by Kenya’s Rhonex Kipruto en route to his 10km world record in Valencia on January 12. Interestingly, although as an international athlete he is usually based in Europe, given world affected by pandemic, Cheptegei’s training for both races – the 5000 meters in Monaco and the 10,000 meters in Valencia – was done in Uganda. News reports said that after the blistering performance in Monaco, he had gone back to Uganda and returned to set the track ablaze again in Valencia.

Letesenbet Gidey (This photo was downloaded from the athlete’s Facebook page and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended)

Weeks after Cheptegei’s new world record in the 5000 meters, three world records tumbled over September 4 and 5, 2020. Britain’s Mo Farah and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands set world one hour-records in their respective gender categories at the Wanda Diamond League exhibition meet at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, on September 4. Farah, a multiple world and Olympic champion set a new mark of 21,330m – bettering the 2007 mark of 21,285m set by Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie.  In her race, Hassan, the Dutch world 1500m and 10,000m champion, touched 18,930 meters in one hour, beating the previous mark of 18,517 meters set by Ethiopia’s Dire Tune in 2008. Around the same time, in Prague, Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya broke the women-only race world record in the half marathon. On September 5, she clocked 1:05:34 for the distance improving upon the previous record of 1:06:11 set by Netsanet Gudeta of Ethiopia at the World Half Marathon Championships in 2018. In contrast to the performances amidst pandemic in long distance running from Jepchirchir, Cheptegei, Gidey, Farah and Hasan (spanning 5000 meters to the half marathon), the marathon hasn’t yet found the gear to break fresh ground. The London Marathon of October 4, held as an elites only affair with the likes of Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei in the field, was expected to see record breaking performance but it didn’t although it provided a couple of exciting, close finishes. It is also true that road events that managed to go ahead despite pandemic, have been very few in number compared to events hosted in the more contained ambiance of stadiums. Although the staging of the London Marathon as an elites only affair, would have brought fresh hope to road events, the momentum – amidst pandemic – has been better on the track side.

An interesting report in The Guardian pointed out that both Cheptegei and Gidey wore Nike Zoom X Dragonfly shoes for their latest record breaking performance. These shoes have spikes, carbon plate and special foam. The report said that Farah and Hasan too had worn Nike shoes capable of aiding speed when they set new world records. Although these shoe models have the approval of World Athletics, in general, advancement in shoe design has become a talking point in contemporary athletics (including the marathon), particularly in sterling performances. Also employed at these events was Wavelight pacing technology. A January 2020 article on the subject, available on the website of World Athletics, explained, “  Named Wavelight after the Mexican wave because of the similar fluid motion of the lights, the system will be used along the rail (inside of the 400m track) in which the lights will flash at an assigned pace for selected races. The innovation has two values: one to enable the athletes to better target a specific pace or target time and, secondly, to add greater value to the spectator experience.’’

(The author, Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.)

Shura Kitata of Ethiopia. This image was downloaded from the Facebook page of London Marathon and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended.

Kipchoge dethroned

Brigid Kosgei defends her title

Close contests decide top two positions among men, and second and third positions among women

Although Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, the athlete billed as his closest competitor pulled out ahead of the race, world record holder and defending champion, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, was not his usual self. He seemed to struggle and came in much after the podium finishers; he finished eighth in 2:06:49. The 35 year-old Kenyan great was trying for his fifth London Marathon title; He had won the event previously in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. The crown eventually went to 24 year-old Kitata, who two years earlier had finished second behind Kipchoge at the 2018 London Marathon. The course record for men in London is 2:02:37, set by Kipchoge in 2019.

Defending champion, Brigid Kosgei of Kenya won the women’s race covering the distance in 2:18:58. Her compatriot and 2019 marathon world champion, Ruth Chepngetich placed third, while Sarah Hall of the US finished second. The top ten women athletes finished within 2:28:30, the race commentators said; the qualification mark for the women’s marathon at the Tokyo Olympics due next year is 2:29:30. Kosgei’s performance in less than ideal conditions in London compares to the world record she holds of 2:14:04 – for women running in a mixed sex race – set at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. The course record for women in London is 2:15:25, set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003.

Going by the commentary, the early laps in the women’s marathon was fast but the pace reduced later. An hour and 33 minutes into the race, the commentators observed that the pace was close to world record requirements and yet not quite there.  Potential reasons spoken of included pandemic, cancellation of events, lockdown and the impact of these developments on athletes’ training, especially opportunities to train with others. Distance runners are known to periodically train in the company of fellow runners, an arrangement that allows them to push each other’s abilities. Further, race day in London followed a spate of heavy rains. The course was visibly wet and at one point during the women’s race, there was a hint of hail. Such conditions typically force runners to tread with caution especially at the corners, details which matter when it comes to performance in the elite category where every second counts.

Ruth Chepngetich (left) and Brigid Kosgei – both in orange vests at the 2020 London Marathon. This image was downloaded from the Facebook page of the event and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended.

Notwithstanding the general pace, by 1:44 hours into the women’s marathon, Kosgei was clearly leading Chepngetich and a sizable gap had opened between them and Ethiopia’s Ashete Bekere (winner among women at the 2019 Berlin Marathon), who was in third place. The 35 kilometer-mark went by in approximately 1:55 hours.  By around 1:58, Lily Partridge and Steph Twell, among the top British contenders, had dropped off the race. By 2:04, even as Kosgei cemented her lead further, the gap was progressively reducing between Bekere and Sarah Hall following her in fourth place.  Around 2:12, Kosgei betrayed a smile as she neared the last lap; she eventually finished in 2:18:58. But it was Sarah Hall who turned in a truly inspiring performance. Having overtaken Bekere, she ran past Chepngetich in the last 100 meters or so to finish a brilliant second with new personal best to boot.     

Probably taking a cue from the women’s race, which was held first, the men’s race too maintained a momentum that was slower than what was expected of the talent crammed into it. At 44:50 the commentator said, “ it is not going to be as fast as we would have normally expected from Eliud Kipchoge.’’ At just past the half way mark, the pace was still steady and not yet showing signs of stepping up. In retrospect this may have played to the disadvantage of Kipchoge. He was older compared to those around him in the lead formation and as the defending champion and the only runner in history to have managed a sub-two hour-marathon, albeit unofficially, there was much riding on his shoulders. As the commentators pointed out, the slower pace wasn’t Kipchoge’s regular style. In the past he has displayed the habit of breaking away past the half way mark and striking out on his own. On Sunday, he appeared either struggling or hemmed in by the larger formation settled into a slightly slower pace with prospects of a sprint finish gradually opening up. On more than one occasion, the commentators pointed out that at a slightly higher pace in the early stages, Kipchoge may have shrugged off some of the runners keeping him company.  

An hour and 36 minutes into the race, Kipchoge discarded his cap and there was anticipation that he may be preparing to break free. Around 1:43, the lead runners were still huddled together; there hadn’t been anyone breaking free yet. “ This is relatively slow for the standard these men have run before,’’ the commentator said. By 1:51, Kipchoge had drifted to the back of the lead group; a slight grimace showed up on his face. Around 1:52:50, the commentator said that Kipchoge could possibly be in trouble in the race. By 1:53:46 there was a clear gap between him and the leading lot. “ There is something quite not working for Kipchoge today,’’ the commentator said. By 1:57:30 it was fairly certain that Kipchoge had lost the race and the people to watch out for were the runners nobody had focused on in the days preceding the event when top billing was assigned for a Kipchoge-Bekele face off. As the second hour of running commenced, the lead group stood whittled down to three Ethiopian runners – Kitata, Mosinet Geremew, Lemma and a lone Kenyan, Kipchumba.  Around 2:04, Geremew who had been the most fancied of the lot dropped back. “ There are casualties all around this two and a quarter kilometer-course,’’ the commentator said. It then boiled down to a potential sprint finish between the remaining three and Kipchumba seemed to gain the upper hand briefly before Kitata firmly surged ahead to breast the tape.  It was a final stage with much drama for in those waning moments, few expected Kitata to sustain a sprint given he had often led the pack from the front in the preceding laps and seemed ideal candidate to be tired.

In a post race tweet, Kipchoge said that after 25 kilometers his ear had got blocked and wouldn’t open anymore. “ But this is how sport is,” he said, pointing out that defeat should be accepted and the focus should now be on winning the next race. He hopes to return for the next edition of the London Marathon and the Olympics, Runners World reported in their article on what happened to Kipchoge.

The 2020 London Marathon was run on a specially selected course around St James Park. Athletes ran several loops. According to the race commentators, the said course was considered for the sub-two hour project Kipchoge had executed in 2019. That event finally took place on a special course in Vienna, wherein he achieved an unofficial time of 1:59:40 for the marathon. The London course was quite flat and therefore theoretically, fast. However because the run was happening on a special course due to the pandemic, even if a new course record was set in the 2020 edition, it wouldn’t be counted officially, the commentators said. The pacers for the men’s race on Sunday included Mo Farah.

Mo Farah doing duty as pacer at the 2020 London Marathon. This image was downloaded from the Facebook page of the event and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended.

The 2020 London Marathon will definitely trigger curiosity in terms of what the model – a blend of physical race and larger virtual participation – holds for the business of running worldwide. An estimated 45,000 runners were due to participate in the virtual format of the 2020 London Marathon. Outside of the UK, the highest number of runners participating in the virtual version of the event was in USA, Taiwan and Hong Kong, the race commentators said. At the physical race in London on Sunday, there were no spectators and only the elite athletes running loops on a secure course. As an event then accessed through television and digital media, the physical race showcased elite running as pure performance with no other distractions in the frame. In other words, there was no life around. It is possible that some viewers may have found such running a cold, clinical experience with only the commentary providing warmth. Under the circumstances this blend appears the most viable model (there is however the problem of shrinking free access to streaming and sometimes, overpriced access) and London may provide impetus for managers of events elsewhere in the world, to follow suit. Races in Valencia and Abu Dhabi have already been spoken of in this context particularly because there is a real thirst out there with elite marathoners for events to run at and qualify for the Olympics. The marathon at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, which was one of the opportunities to qualify so before pandemic struck and the 2020 Olympics got postponed to 2021, was held in very warm, humid conditions. Timings reported there, had been slow.

As is the norm these days, the London Marathon was also watched from the perspective of shoe technology and what advanced shoe design brings to the table at races. It was only the second World Marathon Major this year to physically happen, after the Tokyo Marathon in March. Kipchoge, who has in some ways been the face of new developments in shoe technology, was running the race in London in a version of the Nike Alpha Fly with his timing from Vienna – 1:59:40 – written at the back of it, the commentators said.

(The author, Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.)