World Athletics president Sebastian Coe expressed his excitement over the new marathon world record, calling it a source of “extraordinary excitement” in an interview with AFP. He dismissed criticism attributing the achievement solely to the latest generation of running shoes.
Coe spoke for the first time following the success of Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe, who became the first athlete to break the two-hour barrier in a competition at the London Marathon with a time of 1:59.30. Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha also finished under the mythical mark, clocking 1:59.41.
“There was extraordinary excitement: I couldn’t turn on the television, listen to the radio, open a newspaper, or go online without finding extensive coverage,” said the two-time Olympic 1500m champion (1980 and 1984).
“And the fact that the record was set not in a choreographed event, but in an intensely competitive race, I think captured the imagination of the entire world,” Coe added, referencing Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge’s 2019 attempt in Vienna, which was aided by a laser pace light and dozens of pacemakers.
However, the new world record appears to have made less of an impact on the public imagination compared to Jim Hines breaking the 10-second barrier in the 100m in 1968 or Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergey Bubka clearing six meters in 1985.
Does the role of carbon-plated, ultra-light foam shoes minimize the feat? “No, I don’t think so,” Coe dismissed. “Of course, we need to find a balance, and at World Athletics, we take that responsibility very seriously. But I do not believe our role is to oppose innovation; our role is to ensure the integrity of the competition remains well-balanced, and for now, I think it does,” he argued.
While improvements in training, recovery, and nutrition are key, the shoes introduced in 2016 also act like springs due to their carbon plate embedded in a thick sole. Sawe and Kejelcha both wore an Adidas model weighing under 100 grams (97g) with a 39mm thick sole.
“We work closely with shoe manufacturers, athletes, and coaches,” Coe explained. In 2020, World Athletics set the maximum sole thickness at 40mm and banned the insertion of more than one plate of another material.