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Not sure how many endurance running fans are on this forum but it's now been announced that the Nike Breaking2 project will have their sponsored runners make the attempt on the F1 circuit at Monza.

http://news.nike.com/news/breaking2-monza

There are 2 other sub 2 hour projects out there. Adidas calls theirs Sub2, and another non-shoe company related effort called Sub2HR. They're all trying to maximize everything from the footwear, to hydration/fueling, to course and conditions.

Adidas has had their runners running in the shoe for their effort for a couple of months, but Nike has just shown theirs today. They're goofy as hell but they claim that the extra bulk at the rear is for aero purposes.

http://running.competitor.com/2017/03/n ... hon_162689

FWIW the current record for the marathon is 2:02:57 held by Dennis Kimetto. To take almost 3 minutes off the current record a runner would have to run at an average pace of 4:35/mi (2:51/km) which would mean about 9:20 per lap at Monza (2.4km)

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Not an endurance running fan at all, but it's always interesting for records to be broken. I wouldn't watch but I'd be interested to know how it goes.

Since it's not an officially sanctioned event (none of the 3 will be) it won't count as a true world record. Which suits me fine. A record should only count when it comes in open competition.

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I'm watching this. I'm a keen (but not quick) runner - I'll be running a trail marathon tomorrow myself - and am also fascinated in the science behind the attempt. All this theory behind conditions, pacing, footwear in order to shave almost 3% off the current marathon record (even though it will not be officially ratified), plus that wonderful variable which is the human.
I'm hoping that they succeed: both to prove the theories as laid out above and to open up the athletics world that breaking the 2-hour barrier is within reach. Apparently Adidas has a similar project but one which will be executed in open competition (i.e. an official record); this could really provide a psychological boost to that effort.

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Where I'm going, I don't need roads

2h 00m 25s. Agonisingly close.

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Where I'm going, I don't need roads

To go even that fast is obscene. My last half marathon (around Silverstone, coincidentally) was a minute slower than that (albeit carrying more than a slight injury and the lack of training that said injury forced upon me). To go twice as fast truly boggles the mind, to get within half a minute of the holy grail after 2 hours of slogging yer nuts off must be horrible. I'm always truly amazed at just how fast these elites can run these things though, a year or so ago I was probably in the best shape of my adult life, eating all the right food and doing all the right training, yet i'm still echelons away from what these guys turn up and blast out.

Did a 10k last November that involved 2 laps of the same course, and got to watch the eventual winner about halfway round his 2nd lap as I was getting ready to finish my first, and was in awe to be honest. I ran it in 45:35 that day, not slow by any standard.... that chap did it in 31 minutes or so. Mental.

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PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2018: {Rookie Year}
Current positon: =7th | 2 Podiums | 0 Wins

I ran a small marathon in March where there was an Ethiopian elite competing as a favor to the race director. The course has 3 short out and sections in the first half and 1 long out and for the last half.

As I started the third out and back at about 8.5 miles the elite was finishing it which is just short of the 12 mile mark. When I saw him coming back from the long out and back I was at mile 16 which meant he was just short of mile 23. I'm no top notch age group runner but I ran 3:46:43 and he beat me by over an hour while nursing an injury.

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