THE LAST FRONTIEROF DISTANCE RUNNING
How Eliud Kipchoge Ran a Sub-Two-Hour Marathon
Jim Qualheim, the activity director at Richland High School in Richland, Washington, has been one of Lynnpro’s best customers for more than a decade. Jim started teaching 46 years ago, and he truly loves his kids. That’s why he couldn’t resist our low prices on T-shirts, sweatshirts, and water bottles when he stumbled across them a decade back. “We have a student body of about 2,000 students and a track team of about 225 kids, so the need for apparel is quite great. The kids like to wear the gear, and I don’t like to gouge them,” he explains. “I always get good prices, but years back, I found Lynnpro and I think they probably have the best prices I’ve seen anywhere.” Jim works closely with Becca Tate Richardson, one of our sales consultants, to design the best possible spirit gear. He comes up with design ideas, then works with us to perfect them. “One time I couldn’t decide on shirt design, and I bet I went back and forth six or seven times with the artist at Lynnpro,” Jim recalls. “They probably got tired of me, but we settled on a design we wanted and it worked out really well!” The designs end up on shirts for the student body, individual sports teams, and special events like Veterans Day, Freshman Day, Valentine’s Day, and THE RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL BOMBERS CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: THE PACERS In a regulation marathon, pacers can only run with marathon participants during the first part of the race. But in order to help Kipchoge secure his desired time, different groups of pacers phased in and out of the marathon, running with Kipchoge the whole way. The pacers’ formation also protected Kipchoge from wind resistance and helped him conserve energy. On Oct. 12, 2019, one man did what distance runners the world over thought was impossible. Eliud Kipchoge, an eight-time major marathon winner and three-time Olympic medalist, became the first person in the world to run a sub-two-hour marathon. That means running 26 miles at 4 1/2 minutes per mile! Though Kipchoge’s marathon last year pushed the boundaries of athletic achievements, a few key elements made his sub-two-hour time possible — and disqualified his marathon from world-record consideration. THE COURSE Kipchoge ran the marathon on a course in Vienna that was mostly a straight line with some gradual turns at each end. It was also completely flat and at sea level, where oxygen levels are higher. That said, Kipchoge’s marathon course broke regulations because it was an exhibition run staged just for him to try and break the two-hour barrier. Apart from his pacers, he was the only runner. He also did not have to stop at any water stations — cyclists rode alongside him to periodically hand him water so he wouldn’t have to slow down.
THE SHOES Kipchoge’s shoes had a carbon-plated midsole, which is thought to make runners more energy efficient. And while it’s not certain just how much the specialized shoes affected his time, it does raise important questions about “technological doping,” a term used when certain sportswear or instruments give athletes an unfair advantage in competitions. Even though Kipchoge’s marathon in Vienna might not qualify as a world record, his exhibition race is still a groundbreaking athletic achievement. His performance shows that, even if it hasn’t been officially done yet, a sub-two-hour marathon on a regulation course might not be too far down the road.
St. Patrick’s Day. The gear is also instrumental in school fundraisers. Every year, for example, the students sell oranges to raise money for school activities, and Jim incentivizes them with the offer of free spirit gear. “If they sell three boxes of oranges, they get a T-shirt. If they sell five, they get a sweatshirt, and if they sell 12, they get a water bottle,” Jim says. Over the years, Jim has spread the word about our products and prices across Washington, handing out our contact information at state conferences. In the end, though, it all comes back to what the shirts represent. “It’s a way for kids to show off their school spirit and get a sense of belonging to something,” Jim says. Jim, thank you for trusting us with your school’s business over the years! We couldn’t ask for a better customer and look forward to many more partnerships to come.
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