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...and the race would require an elite field to encourage a fast race.
They specifically say that a large elite field will not encourage a new record because, in a large group, no one runner wants to set a fast pace and drag the other runners to the finish only to get pipped at the end.
What is required is just a couple of elite runners that agree to work together to set a very fast time and not fuck each other over during the latter stages. This is more likely to happen in Berlin as the organisers have less money than bigger marathons (i.e. London) and therefore can't afford the appearance fees for so many elite runners. Berlin is also flatter and straighter than London.
Greenbank
@pifko
I'll give that a listen later.
I think we will see it one day, not for over a decade though. The weather conditions would need to be absolutely perfect and the race would require an elite field to encourage a fast race. Even then the record might only be broken by 15-30 seconds (which is still huge at this level).