Record Races

Fast races around the world 🌍

The world is large enough to be filled with races faster than the next 🚀. Moreover, it would be difficult to rank them. Still, at the top of the list is the Berlin Marathon 🇩🇪, of course: its flat course (flatter than a board 👖), slight turns, and cool climate make it the marathon where records fall like flies 🪰. It was there that Eliud Kipchoge made his legend in 2 h 01 min 09 s 😱. Tigst Assefa also shook the predictions in 2023 with a 2 h 11 min 53 s among women 💪. Valencia, in Spain 🇪🇦, has emerged as another world capital of timekeeping: in its half marathon each edition becomes a performance festival with an early morning start to enjoy the Mediterranean coolness 🏖️. The Chicago Marathon, on the other hand, provided in 2023 the most remarkable feat of the decade with Kiptum's historic race, almost under two hours ⏱️. Despite its sometimes capricious winds, its flat profile and long straight lines offer marathoners a consistent terrain where pace management becomes easier 👌. But other lesser-known courses are just as fast: like the Lisbon Half Marathon or the Houston one entice speed enthusiasts 🏎️, the first running alongside the Tagus, the second with its perfect climate and its course designed to avoid rhythm interruptions. And then there's Monaco, a tiny principality where you literally run on the seaside 🌊: the loop is short, sheltered from the wind, and conducive to tense races over 5 or 10 km 🏃‍♀️.

Records and Their Heroes 👑

World records are like stars in the sky of runners 🌠: we look at them with admiration, but they pass very quickly! Take Eliud Kipchoge, for example: his 2 h 01 min 09 s in Berlin in 2022 already seemed unreal… 💭 Until Kelvin Kiptum came along a year later in Chicago, nearing the mythical two-hour barrier with a 2 h 00 min 35 s that will be etched in history 📜. On the half-marathon, the young Jacob Kiplimo posted an astounding 57 min 31 s in Lisbon, running each kilometer in under 2 min 45 s 🐇, while Letesenbet Gidey became the queen of the distance with 1 h 02 min 52 s in Valencia 🐆. And over 10 km? Rhonex Kipruto clocked 26 min 24 s, also in Valencia, confirming that Spain has become a must-visit for those looking to improve their times 🪄. These feats share rapid courses, meticulous preparation, and outstanding athletes… 🏅