New Yorker: Why Were So Many Running World Records Broken During the Pandemic?

Records are 'often' getting beat. If a track and field record is more than 10 years old, it's getting pretty old. Many of them get broken every few years. But with 20 individual outdoor events in athletics, meaning 40 for men and women, if a record gets beaten on average every 10 years then you'd expect 4 world records to be broken every year. If the average is every 8 years they get broken, then we should expect 5 world records to be broken. I'd be curious in the past 40 years what the average is across the events, ROJO can you do some stat work here?

Then give the fact that there was a year or more of very few competitions, giving athletes a ton of time to train and not be fresh for a peak performance they may have had a career performance boost. And then the unfortunate fact that there was a year of reduced drug testing, possibly allowing for an increase in doping.

2020 was the year of the doper.

I could save everyone 20 mins of their time.

Why Were So Many Running World Records Broken During the Pandemic?

Increased doping and limited testing during the pandemic. Was the perfect time to hop on some strong cycles before the world went back to normal.

Also lol at this quote from fisher

"We would just experiment with how hard we could train without the consequence of blowing up at a major championship.”

Experiment......

Say...what type of Experiment there?

The lack of competitions gave distance runners some space to train for time trial races instead of trying to get their finishing kicks sharp and ready for WCs. Normally, WR attempts are done without a lot of specific training and just done off the fumes of training for championship events.

Er, it says right there: "..experiment with how hard we could train..."

NYorker wrote:

distressingly impeccable running mechanics

haven't even finished but I can't get past this description of Fisher

what a line

of course, most of these athletes are science experiments

My take is that records might have fallen regardless so maybe there is just the natural cycle. Another take is that it likely is a confluence of things and not just one thing. Something as complex as a WR is probably not one thing and it is very simpleminded to think that way.

First, shoes. I think enough has been written.

Second, fewer races might have played a role. Rather than curtailing training and having to jet off to another time zone frequently they were getting rested physically and mentally.

Third, the experimentation with training might play a role. Maybe more hard training and less racing yields better performances? Of course there is a trade off in gaining race experience and also in income.

Lastly, ignoring the potential impact a lack of drug testing might have is just sticking your head in the sand.

It's the shoes, not the pandemic.

In 2020, without real meets races became time trials. Place was irrelevant without real competition so everyone ran for time. BTC did nothing but time trials in 2020. With normal competitions time trial races are few and far between. It's all about place.

Be like Jesus wrote:

It's the shoes, not the pandemic.

Having a little time to think about it, it does blow my mind that the most obvious answer wasn't even mentioned really as the culprit.

A different perspective on another endurance sport:

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210623/Lack-of-spectators-during-pandemic-has-noticeable-effect-on-athletese28099-performance.aspx

rojo wrote:

Be like Jesus wrote:

It's the shoes, not the pandemic.

Having a little time to think about it, it does blow my mind that the most obvious answer wasn't even mentioned really as the culprit.

I think it's obvious that it was shoes plus reduced drug testing.

The answer is quite simple: the athletes were able to outrun the testers, who frequently didn't show.

Rampant, unchecked doping, shoe doping, track doping, and maybe even a longer period without competitions to get a bigger base.

The shoes

Doping

No intensified blood tests

😊😊😊😊

rojo wrote:

Be like Jesus wrote:

It's the shoes, not the pandemic.

Having a little time to think about it, it does blow my mind that the most obvious answer wasn't even mentioned really as the culprit.

Only mentioned in passing:

After the starting gun went off, the team would get in a single-file line in the inside lane and run one lap after another. They would wear the best racing spikes Nike had to offer, outfitted with features like a mini air bag, a carbon plate, and special foam.

What about the fact that it was an Olympic year? People peaking in the Oly trials/Oly window?

covid quarantine was a DREAM moment for unadulterated doping