Will the Two-hour Mark Ever Be Eclipsed?
"For what it's worth," says Tergat, "I would never attempt to break THAT record. Too much climbing, too much pain, too much blowdown!"
The Official Patch Sprint Record was set in 2004 by Jim Kobak. Kobak flew through the course in an impressive time of 2:09:34. In the 2005 Patch Sprint, Kobak’s time was never threatened, which raises an interesting debate as to whether this record will ever be broken. A closer look at the physiology of the endurance athlete may provide some insight into who may have a shot at beating this astounding feat.
World expert running physiologist David Costill states, “There is no doubt that a distance runner is at his best between the ages of 27-32 years.” Based on this variable alone, 2006 is the year for Fiegl, Daley, the Metaki, Wells, Moss, or the Mysterious Q to make a move. But age alone is not going to lead you to a record breaking Patch Sprint race. Years, not months, of training are needed. In fact many experts say peak performance in endurance races occurs between seven and 11 years of training, after which performance may tail off.
So where are the Patch Sprinters? Fiegl may be the man to watch. Jay came into the Patch Sprint scene in 1997 but it wasn’t until 2000 that his training became focused. Jay is in his 7th year of serious training and will be at the prime age of 31 in the 2006 Patch Sprint. Jay has already set the Winter Patch Sprint record* in 2006. If Jay maintains a focused training plan over the next two months, this may be the year he challenges the Patch Sprint record.
There are a handful of young racers that have the potential to break the record if training is maintained for the next several years. Ben Stanley, age 24, has been impressive in the last few Patch Sprint races. He has the potential to peak at the right time and perhaps make a move on the record in 2009 or 2010. Watch out for the Disney twins. They are only 18 years old now and have the opportunity to learn from college coaches. In ten years, they may be unstoppable.
Will the Official Patch Sprint Record be broken in 2006? Meet at the top of Pok-O-Moonshine Mountain on May 27th at 12:09:34 P.M. to find out.
RIGHT: Elizabeth and Alexandra Disney (with race director Sandy Solomon) won their second consecutive "MacCready Fitness Trophy" in 2005 and in doing so, became the first female racers to better the three-hour mark.