Lowering the men's marathon world record to below two hours could be easier than some experts have predicted, according to a timely new study of how to run fast. Of almost equal interest, the rest of us could use a few simple tweaks to improve our own, admittedly more pedestrian race times.
The current world record for the 26.2-mile distance, set by Dennis Kimetto of Kenya in 2014, is 2 hours, 2 minutes and 57 seconds. To shave close to three minutes from that time and drop below two hours, the study finds, may require only a few simple adjustments to elite runners' racing strategies and equipment.
