Athletes or Machines? The Technological Debate Behind Sawe's Record
The mythical two-hour barrier was shattered at the London Marathon, a feat motivated by improvements in training and nutrition, bu...
TL;DR
- Sabastian Sawe broke the two-hour marathon barrier at the London Marathon with a time of 1h59:30.
- The record was aided by technological advancements in running shoes, specifically carbon plates and ultralight foam.
- The shoes used by Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha were Adidas models weighing 97 grams with a 39mm thick sole.
- World Athletics regulated shoe technology in 2020, setting a maximum sole thickness of 40mm and prohibiting more than one plate.
- Sawe's extreme nutrition intake of 115 grams of carbohydrates per hour is also highlighted as a contributing factor.
- Questions about Sawe's performance have been raised due to doping cases in Kenyan athletics, though he maintains transparency.
- The technological evolution in running shoes is compared to the controversy surrounding polyurethane swimsuits in swimming.