2018 was massive for the running industry and since it’s coming to the end of the year we thought we would take a look back at some of the most amazing moments from Marathons all over the world.
1 – After a pedestrian first half, Kenya’s Mary Keitany won the the New York Marathon in a time of 2:22:48. The time was the second fastest ever on the New York course but what was remarkable was the second half split of 1:06:58 – the fastest ever backend to a women’s marathon.
2- Gump keeps getting quicker! Former Melbourne resident Rob Pope has set a new world record of 2:36:28 for running the Marathon as film character Forrest Gump. The 2015 Australian Marathon Champion, Pope set the new record in London, coming off the back of his running coast to coast across America in 2017.
3 – We all know altitude training can be good for marathons, but would you race the worlds highest marathon? Starting at the 5360m Everest Base Camp, the Mt Everest Marathon descends to 3550m along its 42km journey through Nepal. The 2018 winner was Nepalese runner Bhim Bahadur Gurung in 4:02:03, with the first Australian finisher Joanne Kershaw in 8:36:07
4 – Its all in the numbers. With 52,812 finishers, the 2018 New York Marathon was the largest marathon on record.
5 – Melbourne’s 6,371 marathon finishers ran a combined 268,824km which is almost 7 times the circumference of the Earth
6 – Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge smashed the marathon world record by clocking a time of two hours one minute 39 seconds in Berlin. The 33-year-old took nearly one minute 20 seconds off the previous best, which was set by compatriot Dennis Kimetto when he ran 2:02:57 in Berlin in 2014.
7 – Mohammad Abu-Rezeq won the 2018 Loch Ness Marathon in 2:22:56…. which is significantly quicker than the 12 days it took Lloyd Scott to walk 42km along the bottom of Loch Ness in a deep sea diving suit in 2003.
8 – Australia’s oldest continuously run marathon celebrated it’s 50th birthday in 2018. Founded in 1968, the Traralgon Marathon took place on Sunday 3rd of June within 77 runners reaching the finish at the Traralgon Recreation Reserve.
9 – Over 40 isn’t over the hill. Kenyan Lydia Cheromei set a new Women’s 40+ world marathon record of 2:22:11 at the 2018 Valencia Marathon in Spain.
10 – Irish born mum Sinead Diver ran the fastest marathon by an Australian on home soil at the 2018 Melbourne Marathon Festival, slashing 46 seconds off Lisa Weightman’s 2013 race record to win in 2:25.19. Only three Aussie women have run faster overseas – Benita Willis, Lisa Ondieki (nee O’Dea) and Lisa Weightman.
11 – The Biggest Melbourne Marathon Festival EVER! The 2018 event set a new record for the 41 year-long Festival history, with 34,734 participants across the five distances – the highest figure yet; including a sell-out event for the Half Marathon and ASICS 10km Run.
Early bird registrations are now open for the 2019 Melbourne Marathon Festival, commit now & register here.
