Here are some current running race records that are almost impossible to believe.
The Record Sprint
ESPN.com reports that Jamaican Usain Bolt set a new world record for the 100 meter sprint in May of 2008. Obliterating fellow countryman Asafa Powell’s record by 0.02 of a second, Bolt ran the race in a time of 9.72 seconds.
Running The Record Mile
The mile is the base unit American runners use to determine their speed and distance on a run. While many run more than a mile at a time, world-class athletes race this benchmark distance at unbelievable paces. According The Running Times (May 2004), the current record for the fastest mile stands at 3 minutes, 43.13 seconds, set by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco.
Running The Record Marathon
The marathon, a 26.2 mile distance tackled by dedicated endurance runners around the world, is pushing the 2 hour barrier. The record, in the 2 hour 20 minute range during the 1960’s, has dropped to 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 26 seconds. Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia set this record in the 2007 Berlin Marathon. Give it a few more years and the world may see the first sub-2 hour marathon.
The Record 26.2 Miles… Backwards?
That’s right. Some people complete marathons, running the entire race backwards. Some can do this surprisingly quickly, running backwards faster than many can race a marathon running correctly. The current records are under 3 hours. There are even races designed solely for backward runners.
Race From The Bottom Of America To The Top
The Badwater Ultramarathon begins in the blazing depths of the Badwater basin, located in Death Valley, and goes 135 miles to the trailhead at Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the lower 48 states. Enduring temperatures in excess of 120 F, the race starts at 280 feet below sea level and ends at almost 8,700 feet above sea level. Factoring in all the descents and ascents, runners endure over 13,000 feet of total climbing. Until 1989, the race went all the way to the top of the peak. By the time the course was changed to end at the trailhead of Mount Whitney instead of the peak, only 9 runners had completed the run from the bottom to the top.
Current course record for this test of endurance running? According to the Badwater Ultramarathon website, it's 24 hours, 36 minutes, 8 seconds, set by Scott Jurek. Even more amazing? Some runners suffer this torture-fest for close to 60 hours.
The Dash Up To The Top Of New York’s Tallest Building
The Empire State Building hosts an annual race from the bottom of the skyscraper to the top. The building has hosted this race since 1978. Runners must ascend 1,576 feet to the 86th floor observation deck. The Empire State Building's official website says the current record, set by Paul Crake in 2003, stands at 9 minutes, 33 seconds.
