Marathon World Record Set at Boston - Sort Of

Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya managed to run the Boston Marathon faster than the 26.2 mile distance has ever been run - 2:03:02 - 57 seconds faster than the world record set by Haile Gebrselassie in Berlin in 2008, yet his efforts won't be recognized as a world record in part because of a strong tail wind, and in part because Boston is not a "flat course".

How can a time set at Boston not be a record because of the course?  Don't we certify Marathon Courses?  Especially the biggest ones that draw the best competition?  One that you have to run a pretty decent time to even qualify for?  The Gold standard of Marathons is off limits for records because it's not flat...  Makes sense to me...

Oh, and Boston, despite always having a loaded field, barely made the top 10 in the fastest of the major Marathon Courses...  Berlin was 1st.

Average top 10 time on Major Marathon Courses
http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/special-articles/559

Not recognizing a world record because of a tail wind seems slightly arbitrary if you ask me. Geoffrey took almost 3 minutes off the Boston course time - can we only attribute that to the tail wind? This is the problem that people have to accept with outdoor events, especially ones not run around a track; there will be variations in weather, and course difficulty - but how can we start to qualify world records? Can World Records now only be set on level courses when the weather isn't a factor? What are the limits for how much tail wind is too much? What about temperature - is there a perfect temperature that will disqualify a race as too easy?

What happens to competitors who almost set records against strong head winds?

This is a danger with outdoor distance sports that people have to accept. Weather and course will play a part in records.  How can a record be ignored because of weather?  How do we regulate weather? Records can only be set on treadmills in virtual races where conditions are perfectly controlled? 

We allow records where equipment could make the difference - leather spikes and cinder tracks vs modern spikes and rubber tracks, or cotton swim trunks vs "shark-skin" suits. These are allowed but Mother Nature can disqualify a record?

Give Geoffrey the record.  If that means that future records will only be set with a tail wind, that's the danger of outdoor sports, but if you think that record would stand forever you're sadly mistaken.


PS.  If the tail wind was enough to push 2 men past the previous record (Halie not one of them) why did the women not set any records? Caroline Kilel won in a photo finish, but 2 minutes slower than the course record. (2:22:36 vs 2:20:43 set by Margaret Okayo in 2002) Just saying...



http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/boston-marathon-kenyans-geoffrey-mutai-caroline-kilel-are-winners/2011/04/18/AFj9yozD_blog.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/19/sports/19marathon.html

http://www.necn.com/04/18/11/Geoffrey-Mutai-wins-Boston-Marathon-in-r/landing_newengland.html?blockID=506358&feedID=4206