With regard to the visual aesthetics and camera angles this is the greatest marathon race ever filmed. Most races you feel like a spectator, with the way this is filmed you almost feel like you are running with them or actually there. This is incredible!
Wonderful throwback to another running era. No paid pacemakers, the wheelchair racers competed largely in conventional wheelchairs sans helmets. They sat upright and one could see their faces! The racers mainly took fluids from the race organizers, no "electrolyte solutions made in a lab." The absence of commentary was a blessing as well as the lack of human-interest stories about five-hour marathoners running for charity. Instead, we get close ups of the lead pack, try to read their body language. When the inevitable break occurs, the coverage hasn't gone to commercial so we can watch Seko accelerate, Smith and Jones try to respond but then he goes at them again and they crack. Other than too many backward glances on the far side of Heartbreak he is a study in running perfection. The tape ends just short of the finish????? But we know there is no way he can lose. Breaking the tape is an anti-climax.
Love this video with Seko and this deep field of talent and gifted runners. I ran the 1981 Boston Marathon against Seko when he won in 2:09:26 and broke the record. He defeated Rodgers, Virgin, Heffner, Tabb, Fleming, Shorter, and Hodge to name several. It was the fastest marathon ever run in the World @ the time for the top 100 finishers. I came in 53rd place in my first Marathon out of 7,000 runners in 2:18:16 and was sponsored by New Balance racing team straight out of College. I was a 10,000 meter man along with the 5,000 meters and the marathon was brutal physically. I'd rather race the 5k and 10k any time over the 26.20 miles. My times were 14:01.84 and 29:33.60 respectively in collegiate races and was a Pro for four years.
Hey Jeffrey! Not sure if you remember me but back in 2016 I reached out to you as I was dealing with an Achilles injury right after finishing my high school track season. Just wanted to update you that I'm now a 2:18 marathoner looking to qualify for the Olympic trials this fall. I also placed 18th in the NYC marathon last year. Time flies! Hope all is well.
Great stuff. I actually remember watching this live, and had it on VHS for the longest time. What a great group of runners. I was sort of pulling for Steve Jones, my favorite runner of the time, or John Tracy, but Seko did a great job. Ikangaa would go on to set a course record at the NYC Marathon, and Steve Jones did the same at the Chicago Marathon. And of course Tracy won the Silver Medal at the Olympics. De Castella had won Boston in a course record time the prior year.
Seiko learned how to run the hills of Boston and won the 1981 and 1987 races after Bill Rodgers gave him a lesson on how to run heartbreak hill in 1979
You would be rightly proud of his running achievements...I always remember him as one of those gutsy runners who did it from the front....apologies for not getting the spelling right :-)
In this top group, were found Seko, Takeda, Taniguchi, Rob de Castella, D.Gordon, J.Ikanga, J.Smith, S.Jones, J.Tracy, E.Herubyuick, etc. In second one, B.Rodgers was supposed to follow.
@Va Sr Correct. A year or two after this Boston Marathon, they gave the elite runners a “head start” from the slower runners. One of the commentators said it was the result of DeCastella being tripped up by a starter’s rope. The first 30 seconds are enough. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RywM6wYrIDM.html
They were honest runners, hence, couldn't keep top form for long time. In the 80's elite runners trained 3 sessions every day, to make those incredible times. In middle 90's Kenyans started to do same performances with just 2 sessions, mysteriously. Well, ... not mysteriously indeed. It is public what day usually said.and what western runners training, in Kenya, said too.
It's called 'ageing'. De Castella peaked in 1986, it was his last big hurrah, although he remained a pretty damn good runner for some time (eg 7th in Seoul 1988) he was past his best.
@@theenglishalpinist5031 It's possible, although for a distance runner to be past his best at only 30 I am inclined to look elsewhere first for reasons for his decline.
