New World Record 2:01:39

The marathon is 26.2 miles. If you’ve ever done one, you know what kind of effort it takes to just finish a marathon. For people who are better runners, qualifying for the Boston Marathon is a significant goal. It takes intense training to achieve that goal. This past weekend, a Kenyan named Eliud Kipchoge set a new world record for the marathon.

Set a world record? No. He shattered the world record by running it 1:18 faster in a time of 2:01:39. That’s an average pace of 4:38.4 per mile. For 26.2 miles! I run a half-mile loop in my neighborhood in about five minutes. To give you some perspective, he would complete over two laps in the time it takes for me to complete one.

While it’s an amazing physical achievement, what does it have to do with you and me and our health? In my opinion, a whole lot and that’s what I’m going to talk about the rest of the week. But for today, Kipchoge deserves our respect as the greatest marathoner in the world.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet