Eliud Kipchoge’s Next Feat: The Tactical Boston Marathon

“If it’s hot or a strong headwind, I’d advise just going for the win,” Larsen said. “If it’s cool with a tailwind or crosswind, he can run at a record pace. Ease a little bit through the hills so at 21 miles his legs will still be strong enough to take advantage of the downhills on the way to the finish.”

Amby Burfoot, who won in Boston in 1968, suggested treating the race like the Olympics, where only the gold medal matters. Kipchoge should run as slowly as he can to win, Burfoot said, and shouldn’t take the lead until well past 20 miles. Also, he warned, don’t join the long list of runners who got suckered into thinking all that downhill running during the first 16 miles wasn’t causing major muscle fatigue.

Grete Waitz, for example, led the 1982 Boston Marathon at the 24-mile mark but dropped out because the downhills had shredded her legs.

“Respect the downhills, or they will disrespect you,” Burfoot said.

Nobody knows Boston better than Dave McGillivray, the race director who has completed the course 50 times on race day and another 42 in training. McGillivray said anyone hoping to win needs to stay with the lead pack through the halfway mark in Wellesley, then slowly begin to separate.

“Come here with lots of patience,” McGillivray said. “Come here knowing the shape of your competition on that day, and come here knowing exactly what is up ahead in front of you. It is anything but the typical flat and fast race that most pros have run.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/16/sports/olympics/eliud-kipchoge-boston-marathon.html