Run Through the Tape
A clip from this spring's Delaware Marathon has been round the world. The leader, 26 miles done and the finish in sight, eases off, lifts his arms and starts to enjoy the moment.
The moment is a little early.
Behind him, Joshua Jackson hasn't read the script. He finds a gear nobody knew he had, comes past in the last few strides and wins in 2:43:12, two seconds clear after more than two hours and forty minutes of running.
Video: WKYC Channel 3 on YouTube
The internet put it best: "Gotta run through the tape."
Go easy on the runner-up
We laughed, then winced, because every runner has done a version of this. And the full story is kinder than the clip. The two had run side by side for miles and were both running on empty by the end. A runner's write-up of the race points out that the winner started further back, so on chip time he may well have won anyway. The runner-up took it with real class, saying Jackson "deserves everything he's getting".
Still, the lesson stands. You ease up on the last rep, cruise the final parkrun straight, or check your watch before you've crossed the mat. The finish is a line, not a feeling.
Meanwhile in Chicago
On 11 October, Kenya's Amos Kipruto won the Chicago Marathon in 2:01:09, his first Chicago title and a personal best. Watch the best in the world finish and you'll see the same thing every time: nobody celebrates until the line is behind them.
Our advice for your next race
Pick a point five metres past the finish and run to that. Celebrate when you get there. Your arms will still work.
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