The Vergecast · Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Alex Hutchinson, author of 'Endure,' stated that the significance of the two-hour marathon barrier is largely symbolic, as humans are
“Yeah, I mean, it's it's a round number. That's its biggest significance, right? So you could say, why is a two-hour marathon more significant than a two-hour and one-minute marathon? Well, that's life. Uh, humans are wired in that way. And so, people have dreamt about the idea of a two-hour marathon since like, I'd say 1991 was the first significant prediction. Uh, at which point it seemed like science fiction. Uh, for the last 15 years, I'd say people have taken it seriously and said, actually, I think this might happen someday. Um, but but maybe the most useful context is, in 2014, uh, Runners World asked me to do a big feature on the prospects for a two-hour marathon. And I spent months and talked to tons of people, wrote a big 10-page takeout. And on the last page, I said, I think a two-hour marathon will happen. And I think it'll happen in 2075. Um, so don't count on me for betting tips, but that's how big of a deal it is. It's half a century early.”