What's the Longest Distance a Human Can Run? The Science of Running

Eliud Kipchoge achieved something that humans thought was impossible, a sub 2 hour marathon. After the race, though, everyone agreed that Kipchoge didn't really look tired. So how far could he have run if he never had to stop?
A study published in 1991 worked out that a perfect human at their absolute peak could run a marathon in 1 hour 57 minutes and 58 seconds. So can the same maths be used to work out our ultimate running limits?
There are 3 main tests that sports scientists will do to work out if you're a good runner; VO2 max, lactate threshold, and running economy.
VO2 Max is how much Oxygen we can breathe in and then use for energy, so if you're really fit, you are able to breathe in a whole heap more oxygen. Running economy is basically how much energy it takes for each step, kind of like the fuel economy of a car. Lactate is an alternate energy source to oxygen and it's like poison for your muscles, the threshold is the point at which your body starts using lactate as it's main energy source.
Most humans are already pretty good at running, though. Years of evolution have made us purpose built running machines, with a bunch of cool running adaptations.
So, how do we predict how far we can run?
There's something called the power duration relationship which tells you that you can run a certain distance at a certain speed and, if you stay slow enough, you can basically run forever.
So, what is stopping us from running and running and running.
When youre talking about long distance races it's seldom the case you get to a point where you simply cant lift your leg anymore, it's always a decision and your brain tells you when to stop.
More and more, sport scientists are realising just how much our brain determines how far we push ourselves and Kipchoge himself says it really is mind over matter!
There are now a bunch of studies that show if we can trick our brain into thinking we're less tired than we really are, then we can run for a much longer time.
So basically, if you run nice and slow, and tell yourself you're good to go, you could run forever!
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[@MatthewSummerton]

Very informative - keep on producing quality stuff like this.

[@ChasingMajors]

Thanks for the vid. I’m always looking for inspiration with running. I’m preparing for my first marathon and vlogging my results. Cheers!

[@karmibeach6458]

Very informative! Thanks :)

[@playsomefortnite]

Which video editing software do u use?