THE CONTENDERS
Top Picks to Watch
It ’ s no easy task to break a World Record in running . To do that means needing to run faster than anybody has ever covered that distance ever before . Let that sink in for a second . Faster than anybody has ever run before . But it is doable … and these are some of the athletes who have the credentials to chase the IAU World Records at the Nedbank Runified Breaking Barriers 50km .
Images : David Tarpey
Until recently , the 50km distance was not raced all that often – not nearly as much as the standard 42.2km marathon – so it is somewhat understandable that the men ’ s IAU World Record time for the distance has stood for 33 years , and until recently , the women ’ s mark had also remained unbeaten for 30 years . However , this is set to change in the near future .
For starters , the International Association of Ultrarunners ( IAU ) has established a World Championships for the distance , and continental athletics bodies have done likewise , creating Continental Championship events . Secondly , World
Alyson Dixon
Athletics is considering making 50km one of its official top tier racing distances , which may see the global athletics body start recognising World Records instead of World Bests for the distance .
In the meantime , the Nedbank Runified Breaking Barriers 50km offers ultra athletes from all over the world an incredible opportunity to not only get racing again and earn some much-needed prize money after a year-long lockdown , but also an opportunity to go after the men ’ s and women ’ s IAU World Records for 50km .
The Times to Beat
Thompson Magawana ’ s men ’ s World Record of 3:43:50 has stood since 1988 . This equates to a pace of 3:16.6 per kilometre , so an athlete hoping to break this World Best would be aiming to average at least 3:16 per kay throughout . At 3:16.6 / km , an athlete would pass through the marathon mark in 2:18:16 , whereas going ever so slightly faster , at 3:16 / km , an athlete would post a marathon time of 2:17:51 .
In terms of the women ’ s World Record for 50km , the official current record is the 3:07:20 run by Alyson Dixon in 2019 at the IAU World 50km Champs . This equates to an average pace of 3:44.8 / km , which in turn equates to a marathon time of 2:38:06 . To beat that time , an athlete would at minimum need to average 3:44 / km , which would equate to a marathon time of 2:37:32 .
However , Des Linden ’ s 2:59 54 , run earlier this year , is currently awaiting final ratification , but it makes sense to work out the required pacing needed to improve on that mark as well . Her time equates to a pace of 3:35.88 / km , which in turn equates to a marathon time of 2:31:50 . Thus an average pace of 3:35 / km on the dot would ensure a new World
Record that would also beat her time , should it be ratified , and the target time to hit for the marathon would be 2:31:12 .
Picking Contenders
With those target times in mind – a marathon time of 2:17:51 for the men , or 2:37:32 for the women – it is possible to look through the list of participants and determine which athletes at least have shown the marathoning ability to challenge the World Record times . In other words , if an athlete has never run that fast over 42.2km , it is unlikely they would be able to do so for 50km . Similarly , an athlete ’ s most recent marathon performance gives one an indication of their fitness , speed and ability to challenge the World Record .
However , when looking at marathon times , one also has to factor in other considerations , such as the race route it was run on – flat or hilly – and whether it was at sea level or altitude . A flat course at sea level is more likely to deliver fast times than a hilly course at altitude ! Also , the weather on the day , i . e . heat , humidity or gusting winds , could have affected the finishing time , and the nature of the actual race – flat-out racing or a slower , more tactical race – could also have played a role .
In other words , this is not an exact science … Choosing top contenders for any race or record attempt is always subjective , and there could be varying opinions on who will or won ’ t be in the mix come race day . Still , in the next few pages we have tried to look at historic marathon PBs , more recent marathon results , age , experience and track records , in selecting a few athletes that we think may be in the running for the record attempt at the Nedbank Runified : Breaking Barriers 50km .
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