The Importance of Distance in Track and Field

From ultra-distance events like the Comrades Marathon to the tracks of the Diamond League, athletics records are being broken at every turn. The team drill down to the realities of technology and discuss its influence over these performances to put them into perspective. We also discuss World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz's cramping implosion at this year's French Open and why Novak Djokovic and mountain biker Nino Schurter seem to defy their own advancing years to stay at the top.

Show notes:

• The bonus episode, exclusive to Patrons, where Sean Ingle joins Ross to talk about performance, including views from coaches and athletes
• The article on track technology that we discussed on the show, thanks to Gareth for providing the link
• Research paper by Knopp et al comparing different 'super shoes' in elite Kenyans and non-elite runners, showing high variability within each runner depending on their shoe
• Another research paper that compares seven (though I count eight) super shoes, showing how some runners do really well in one shoe and worse in others
• Sean Ingle's article from that Paris meet with the three World Records
• Article on Alcaraz's cramp at the French Open, as discussed on the show

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