Miles and Metrics / issue 15

Oct 13

3 min read

Jacob Kiplimo running fast through the last mile at the Chicago Marathon where an estimated 54,000 runners took to the streets.

Running Shoes 1985-1990

Nike, Asics, New Balance, Saucony, Brooks and adidas really began to establish themselves in the later part of the decade. A few shoes that mark the time:

Nike Air Max
Brooks Chariot
New Balance 990
Asics Gel Lyte
Saucony Azura ST
adidas Boston

Ironman World Championships

The Ironman in Hawaii started in 1978. One of the most famous races of all time took place in 1989 when Mark Allen and Dave Scott raced through the water, on the bike and through 22 miles of the marathon before Mark Pulled away. It has forever been known as the Iron War.

This past Saturday was the Ironman World Championships in Kailua Koan for Women. For close to 7 hours it was the Ironwar all over again. This time Lucy Charles Barkley and Tayor Nibb were locked together. Lucy was first out of the water but Taylor caught her at the Hawi turn around. The exchanged the lead all the way back to the pier. By the time they got off the bike they had 8 minutes on a Kona rookie and 14 minutes to the real threat to the victory. For the next 13 miles or 21K they pushed each other. Cracks started to appear. First Lucy walked an aid station and there was a wobble or two. She quickly got back to running but by the next aid station she was really showing signs of over-heating. Taylor went by her. Lucy fought hard for the next mile or so but it was too much. By the time Tayor made it to the turn around in the Energy Lab Lucy was pulled off the course by her husband. It was to dangerous for her to continue. Taylor looked great and in control. She cruised the next 8 miles. But then she too started to show signs. Her hips had stopped rotating. She was running quite stiff. With 2K to go as she walked through and aid station it did not look good. She took maybe 100 steps out of the aid station veered off course, came back and stumbled to the pavement. She tried to get up but she couldn't. Her race was over. Solveig Loseth, the rookie who was third off the bike had been gaining on Taylor. She had passed Lucy on the side of the road and now passed Taylor. Solveig would go on to win her first Iroman World Championships. A hard charging Kat Mathews would finish 35 seconds behind and defending champion Laua Phillipp would finish third.

Their running shoes

Solveig - On Cloudboom Strike
Kat - Asics Metaspeed Ray
Laura - New Balance SC Elite 5

Chicago Marathon

An estimated 54,000 runners took part on a perfect day for running on Sunday. Jacob Kiplimo charged out on world record pace but he would slow down over the last few kilometers. Hawi Feysa would win on the women's side. There were many other notable performances with Conner Mantz lowering the American Record and more importantly he finished 4th overall.

The shoes

Men