Scientific Possibility of a 2-Hour Marathon

(Originally aired 6/20/17) Guest: Michael Joyner, MD, Exercise Physiologist, Mayo Clinic Running a mile in under four minutes was an impossible feat…until it wasn’t. Once Roger Bannister became the first to eke out a mile in 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds back in 1954, an even faster mile quickly became the norm. Now, a group of Nike-sponsored runners has been trying to break the two-hour threshold for a marathon. The world record currently stands at two hours, two minutes and 57 seconds, for an officially recognized time. Last year, Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge came 24 seconds short of breaking the 2-hour barrier. That was after years of training and research and special shoe development by Nike. So, can it be done? And what would it take?