The tech that made a 2-hour marathon possible | The Vergecast

2026年9月9日，由资深政策记者Lauren Feiner主持的The VergeCast节目，深入探讨了帮助运动员在两小时内跑完马拉松的技术——这意味着在26.2英里的路程中，平均配速低于每英里4分35秒。这项壮举曾被认为是不可能的，1991年，Michael Joyner等科学家曾预测马拉松能达到1小时58分，而受邀嘉宾Alex Hutchinson最初则预测要到2075年才能实现。 在主要讨论开始前，高级评论编辑Nathan Edwards介绍了2026年9月8日星期二的“The Verge 90秒”节目。他重点介绍了Allison Johnson对Fairphone 6 Plus的正面评价，它是首款在美国正式发布的机型，并因其可修复性而备受赞誉（iFixit给它打出10/10分，Allison则从手机角度给出8/10分）。Ronnie Mola的报告解释了包括手机和电脑在内的科技产品为何变得越来越昂贵，将其归因于AI数据中心的需求、制造产能的困境以及制造商创纪录的利润。Edwards随后预告了苹果发布日，预计将推出iPhone 18 Pro和Pro Max（可能配备更小的灵动岛和新摄像头，价格几乎肯定会更高），一款“宽版”可折叠iPhone（类似于三星Galaxy Fold 8），新款手表，以及可能推出的AirPods 5，并计划进行现场博客报道和YouTube反应视频。 Feiner随后欢迎了Alex Hutchinson，一位专注于人类表现极限的记者和作家，来讨论两小时马拉松的极限。Hutchinson解释说，虽然这个数字的重要性部分在于它的“整数”属性，但这项突破比他自己保守的预测提前了半个世纪。他指出，主要原因是跑鞋的显著改进，特别是2016-2017年出现的“超级跑鞋”。 超级跑鞋的特点是采用超轻、高弹性的泡沫材料制成的厚鞋底，内置一块坚硬的碳纤维板。尽管确切的运作机制仍有争议，但它们通过着地时压缩、然后反弹的方式，推动跑者向前。这使得跑者能以更少的能量维持既定配速，或以相同的能量跑得更快。耐克最初的Vaporfly 4%跑鞋，因其提供了4%的效率提升而得名，这在当时是一个“惊人的发现”。Hutchinson指出，虽然所有跑鞋都有“弹簧”效果，但超级跑鞋在材料和设计上实现了质的飞跃。 耐克2017年的“Breaking2”项目，一场表演赛，旨在高度受控的条件下打破两小时大关。这些条件包括选择最佳日期和时间，在意大利蒙扎使用一条坡度完美的F1赛道，并采用多名配速员以箭形阵列领跑，以设定精确配速并最大限度地减少风阻。Eliud Kipchoge跑出了2小时00分25秒，功亏一篑。两年后，在2019年，在维也纳相似的人工条件下，Kipchoge成功跑进了两小时，尽管这仍不是一项官方纪录。跑鞋不断进化，泡沫弹性材料和碳板设计持续创新，引发了一场“军备竞赛”，最终导致世界田联（World Athletics）实施了40毫米的鞋底厚度限制。 Hutchinson回忆起在Breaking2项目期间参观耐克实验室，观察到个性化测试、跑鞋的快速原型制作，以及从针对个别跑者的碳板硬度到服装线头等每一个细节的精心优化。 今年，在伦敦马拉松这项同一赛事的一个官方赛道上，两小时大关最终被打破，由Sebastian Sawi和Yomov Kajelcha共同实现。Hutchinson承认他没有现场观看，因为“两小时内马拉松”的关注度已经下降，特别是在有前途的年轻跑者Kelvin Kipton不幸去世之后。他提到了其中的惊喜，因为Kajelcha在几天前，在他首次马拉松比赛中，曾否认这一可能性。 除了跑鞋，Hutchinson强调了其他关键因素。他提到了“划时代的运动员”进行高强度训练，以及“碳水化合物革命”（carbolution），即补给方式上的碳水化合物革命。运动员现在在比赛中摄入前所未有的碳水化合物量（例如，每小时120克），这一数量曾被认为在生理上是不可能的。这得益于新型运动饮料，例如水凝胶配方，它们能将碳水化合物包裹起来，绕过胃部传感器，从而实现更大的吸收量。骑行运动员的速度也越来越快，这表明耐力运动的进步不仅仅局限于跑鞋。 Sawi和Kajelcha所穿的Adidas Pro Evo 3跑鞋，进一步印证了这种进化。它们异常轻盈（不到100克，给人一种空盒子的感觉），并且专为一场马拉松比赛而优化，而非追求耐用性。其设计理念是消除任何无助于26英里快速直线奔跑的元素。 Hutchinson对这些跑鞋在业余跑者中的使用以及“体育的纯粹性”表达了“复杂的看法”。虽然像500美元的Pro Evo 3（通常转售价格高达2000美元）这样的高端跑鞋并非面向大众市场，但人们对先进跑鞋有着“永无止境的渴望”。跑者追求“免费的速度”，并且常常发现这些跑鞋因其缓震感而让跑步更加愉悦。然而，Hutchinson将其视为一个“集体行动问题”：尽管他个人抵制为速度付费的理念，但在所有人都使用这些鞋的比赛中，它们就成了必需品，这导致了诸如波士顿马拉松资格赛成绩变快等调整。他总结说，虽然他对于“过度创新”没有明确的“界限”，但一双500美元却只能跑两场比赛的跑鞋，确实促使人们反思跑步对个体而言究竟意味着什么。

On September 9th, 2026, The VergeCast, hosted by senior policy reporter Lauren Feiner, delved into the technology enabling athletes to run a marathon in under two hours – an average pace of less than four minutes and 35 seconds per mile for 26.2 miles. This feat was once considered impossible, with scientists like Michael Joyner predicting a 1:58 marathon in 1991, and Alex Hutchinson, the guest, initially forecasting it for 2075. Before the main discussion, Senior Reviews Editor Nathan Edwards presented "90 Seconds on The Verge" for Tuesday, September 8th, 2026. He highlighted Allison Johnson's positive review of the Fairphone 6 Plus, the first to launch officially in the U.S. and praised for its repairability (iFixit gave it 10/10, Allison an 8/10 as a phone). Ronnie Mola's report explained why tech, including phones and computers, is becoming more expensive, attributing it to demand from AI data centers, manufacturing capacity struggles, and record profits for manufacturers. Edwards then previewed Apple Announcement Day, expecting the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max (possibly with a smaller Dynamic Island and new camera, almost certainly a higher price), a "wide" foldable iPhone (like the Samsung Galaxy Fold 8), new watches, and potentially AirPods 5, with live blogging and a YouTube reaction planned. Feiner then welcomed Alex Hutchinson, a journalist and author specializing in human performance limits, to discuss the two-hour marathon barrier. Hutchinson explained that while the number's significance is partly its roundness, the breakthrough came half a century earlier than his own conservative prediction. The primary reason, he stated, was the dramatic improvement in running shoes, specifically the "super shoes" that emerged in 2016-2017. Super shoes feature a thick sole made of super light, resilient foam, embedded with a stiff carbon fiber plate. While the exact mechanics are debated, they work by compressing upon landing and springing back, propelling the runner forward. This allows runners to maintain a given pace with less energy or run faster with the same energy. Nike's initial Vaporfly 4% was named for the 4% efficiency improvement it offered, a "wild finding" at the time. Hutchinson noted that while all running shoes have a "spring," super shoes represent a radical leap in materials and design. Nike’s 2017 "Breaking2" project, an exhibition race, aimed to break the two-hour barrier under highly controlled conditions. These included selecting the optimal day and time, using a perfectly cambered Formula One track in Monza, Italy, and employing multiple pacemakers in an arrowhead formation to set a precise pace and minimize wind resistance. Eliud Kipchoge ran 2:00:25, falling just short. Two years later, in 2019, under similar artificial conditions in Vienna, Kipchoge successfully ran under two hours, though it was still not an official record. The shoes evolved, with continuous innovation in foam resilience and carbon plate designs, leading to a "bit of an arms race" and eventually World Athletics imposing a 40-millimeter stack height limit. Hutchinson recalled visiting Nike's lab during the Breaking2 project, observing personalized testing, rapid prototyping of shoes, and meticulous optimization of every detail, from carbon plate stiffness for individual runners to garment threads. This year, the two-hour barrier was finally broken on an official course in the same race, the London Marathon, by both Sebastian Sawi and Yomov Kajelcha. Hutchinson admitted he didn't watch it live, as the "sub-two-hour watch" had tapered off, especially after the tragic death of promising young runner Kelvin Kipton. He noted the surprise, as Kajelcha, running his first marathon, had dismissed the possibility just days before. Beyond the shoes, Hutchinson emphasized other crucial factors. He cited "generational athletes" who train intensely and "carbolution" – a carbohydrate revolution in fueling. Athletes now ingest unprecedented amounts of carbohydrates during races (e.g., 120 grams per hour), an amount once deemed physiologically impossible. This is enabled by new sports drinks, like hydrogel-based formulas, which encapsulate carbohydrates to bypass stomach sensors, allowing for greater absorption. The fact that cyclists are also going faster suggests broader advancements in endurance sports beyond just shoes. The Adidas Pro Evo 3, worn by Sawi and Kajelcha, further exemplify this evolution. They are exceptionally light (under 100 grams, giving the impression of an empty box) and optimized for a single marathon, not durability. The design philosophy is to eliminate anything that doesn't aid fast, linear running for 26 miles. Hutchinson expressed "complicated thoughts" on the use of these shoes by recreational runners and the "purity of the sport." While high-end shoes like the $500 Pro Evo 3 (often reselling for $2,000) are not for the mass market, there's a "bottomless appetite" for advanced footwear. Runners seek "free speed" and often find the shoes make running more enjoyable due to their cushioned feel. However, Hutchinson views it as a "collective action problem": while he personally resists the idea of paying for speed, competing in races where everyone else uses them makes them a necessity, leading to adjustments like the Boston Marathon qualifying times becoming faster. He concludes that while he doesn't have a "bright line" for what constitutes too much innovation, a $500 shoe that only lasts two races prompts reflection on what running truly means to an individual.