Is a 2:09 marathon time average?
During my lunch break, I was browsing on the Lets Run website and clicked on the link for the Rotterdam Marathon.
Looking down the list of finishers the country of Kenya was well represented.
Nine out of the first ten runners were all from Kenya. The other runner was from Ethiopia.
The first runner from a country not in Africa was from Spain and ran a 2:12.
Considering if you ran 2:09 and were from America then you would be considered fast. But if you are from Kenya and run 2:09 while still very much an elite runner you are over 5 minutes behind the best times being posted by your country man.
I wonder if Kenya runners view their fellow country man as average because they are only able to run times in the 2:09 range. I hope not. They have an entire country of men and women capable of making great running achievements. And when they can take 9 of 10 places at a major marathon, it says something about the running culture of that country. It is GOOD!!!
Looking down the list of finishers the country of Kenya was well represented.
Nine out of the first ten runners were all from Kenya. The other runner was from Ethiopia.
The first runner from a country not in Africa was from Spain and ran a 2:12.
Considering if you ran 2:09 and were from America then you would be considered fast. But if you are from Kenya and run 2:09 while still very much an elite runner you are over 5 minutes behind the best times being posted by your country man.
I wonder if Kenya runners view their fellow country man as average because they are only able to run times in the 2:09 range. I hope not. They have an entire country of men and women capable of making great running achievements. And when they can take 9 of 10 places at a major marathon, it says something about the running culture of that country. It is GOOD!!!
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