Generally times for races always continue to improve. With the very best, world and national records highlighted by the media.
But are we starting to see an in-depth improvement across all distances?
I read recently that T&F News in America which has tracked every sub 4 minute mile by an American since Dan Bowden first did it on 1957, will no longer do so due to the high number of runners who are now achieving it. 19 in 2020, 36 in 2021, with last year seeing 63 runners breaking the barrier and an expectation of even more this year. (The reason for this breakthrough they believe is down mainly to the use of carbon plated shoes)
In this years Hakone elkiden in Japan. Japan Running News standardised the times ( different legs of the relay vary in length) of all of the runners to the half marathon distance and found that 67 ran sub 63 minutes for the half marathon distance. With a further 27 running sub62 minutes and 5 sub 61 minutes.
Then this week the Armagh 5km witnessed 132 runners go under 15 minutes and a further 17 run sub 14 minutes for 5km.
It’s definitely looking as though there is a general improving in times, don’t you think?
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