Episode
Boston Bonanza - Course Record Analysis / Elite Runners Avoiding Carbs? / Acute Stress Anti-Doping Refusal
- Published
- Apr 21, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 5078
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Summary
Become a Science of Sport Supporter and show your appreciation for the pod, while also having your say and correcting Gareth and Ross' errors! A small monthly donation is all it takes! Show Notes The Spotlight today is heavily focused on an historically fast Boston Marathon, which saw an incredible 2:01:52 for defending champion John Korir. It obliterated the course record, with the podium all going under Geoffrey Mutai's 2:03:02 from 2011. It's been called one of the "truly great" marathon performances, but Ross isn't so sure. We try to put it into context, given Boston's occasional propensity to produce exceptional conditions, with a tailwind that not only cancels out the impact of its hills, but overcomes them to create freak times. We dive into both the men's and women's performances, discuss some of the remarkable stats of the day, and ponder exactly where Korir's performance lies? Also out of Boston, Tim Noakes watched the race, and because he didn't see Korir or Sharon Lokedi, the women's winner, take in any carbohydrates during the race, the obsession with carbs is misplaced, and elites don't use them the way we are told. We discuss that theory, offering a grain or two of truth, based on what we actually saw the elites do in the race, to point out that "science by TV watching" is a pretty bad idea, unless you want to show how little you care for facts. Also in the show, England's Red Roses Rugby team dominate the sport more than perhaps any other team in history. But this has become a potential issue for the growth of the women's game, and we wonder how any other nations will catch up given Englands enormous first-mover advantage in the professionalization of the women's game? There's a fascinating doping story emerging in women's tennis, where former Wimbledon…