On Sunday, Dennis Kimetto lowered the marathon world record to 2:02:57. While many runners will marvel that they can’t run a 5K at his average pace of 14:34, Split Times of the Last 5 Mens Marathon World Records, A Part of Hearst Digital Media.
Kimetto ran the first half of the race in 61:45 and the second half 33 seconds faster (61:12). Haile Gebrselassie had a similar spread in 2007 when he ran the world record of 2:04:26 (62:29/61:57) and when he broke the 2:04 barrier in 2008 (2:03:59 in 62:05/61:54). See the table below for the splits during the last five men's marathon world records.
Running faster in the second half, or negative splitting the race, is widely recommended for marathoners but rarely practiced. Part of the reason runners fail to pace this way is disbelief: Can I really run faster after hours on my feet? It feels counterintuitive not to bank time when you’re feeling fresher. Correcting the myth of banking time takes education (start by reading this article), Ways to Make Running This Winter More Enjoyable.
There is, however, some sound argument for going slightly faster than goal pace and ending up with positive splits. People as knowledgeable as author, exercise physiologist and two-time Olympic marathoner Pete Pfitzinger maintain that How to Start from Scratch With a Run/Walk Program, so you may slow some during the final miles even if you don’t bonk and stagger in. Those who promote this view point out that the two marathon world record holders before Kimetto ran positive splits (Wilson Kipsang, 2:03:23, with half splits of 61:32/61:51, and Patrick Makau, 2:03:38, This Glute Workout Will Ignite Your Power).
What is clear, however, is that Kimetto, Kipsang, Makau and Gebrselassie all ran each mile close to the same pace. Even Pfitzinger’s allowance accounts for only seconds of variation per mile; he isn’t saying go out fast and try to hold on. Neither is anyone claiming that you should jog the first half and then make up time. Kimetto’s negative split came with a few faster miles between 30K and 35K, and then he settled back to the same efficient pace. Your fastest time will come when you can run as close to the red line as consistently as possible.
Seconds matter. In 2009, Sammy Wanjiru attempted to break the then world record of 2:03:59 in Chicago. To run sub-2:04, he needed to hit each kilometer under 2:56. In his first 10K, he ran 2:53-2:54 per kilometer, predicting a 2:03 finish. By 20K, he had slipped only 5 to 6 seconds per kilometer for a couple miles, but already the record was questionable. Staying strong, but losing seconds here and there, he eventually ran 2:05:41, a course record but well below the world record pace he started at.
To run your best, you have to find the precise threshold where you are not dipping into an effort level that is unsustainable for the entire distance. Seconds faster per mile will require you to pay back with interest later. Seconds too slow quickly add up to minutes that can’t be made up (although if you err, slightly too slow will be less damaging to your final time than too fast). Finding that threshold is your most important task as a marathoner, whether you run 2:02 or 4:02. Learning to trust it and maintain it mile after mile will result in your personal record.
Split Times of the Last 5 Men's Marathon World Records
| Record Setter | 10K | 20K | Halfway | 30K | 40K | Finish |
| Dennis Kimetto (2014) | 29:24 | 58:36 | 61:45 | 1:27:38 | 1:56:29 | 2:02:57 |
| Wilson Kipsang (2013) | 29:16 | 58:19 | 61:32 | 1:28:01 | 1:57:12 | 2:03:23 |
| Patrick Makau (2011) | 29:17 | 58:30 | 61:44 | 1:27:38 | 1:57:15 | 2:03:38 |
| Haile Gebrselassie (2008) | 29:13 | 58:50 | 62:05 | 1:28:27 | 1:57:34 | 2:03:59 |
| Haile Gebrselassie (2007) | 29:27 | 59:11 | 62:29 | 1:28:57 | 1:58:10 | 2:04:26 |
Related:
