How FAST do Olympic Champions Actually Run? - This Messy Happy

Intro This is a quick summary of How FAST do Olympic Champions Actually Run? from This Messy Happy. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points

• The creator compares his own swim, bike, and run efforts to the world‑class paces of Jan Frodeno, Kristian Blumenfeld, Gustav Iden and Alistair Brownlee.
• Swim paces are given as seconds per 100 m (e.g., 108 s/100 m for Brownlee, 114 s/100 m for Frodeno, 116 s/100 m for Iden, 132 s/100 m for Blumenfeld).
• Bike effort is measured in watts per kilogram (W/kg). Elite athletes produce 5‑6 W/kg for 30‑minute efforts (≈365 W for a 63 kg rider).
• Run paces are shown for marathon (≈3:50 min/km), half‑marathon (≈3:27 min/km), and 10 km (≈2:55 min/km) as achieved by the pros.
• Practical tip: use your own personal‑best (PB) and calculate the required W/kg or pace, then use a pacing app to adjust for your weight and fitness.

Workout Example

1. Swim – Aim for a pace close to the elite’s 100‑m time. Warm‑up, then try:
   • 200 m at 130 s/100 m (your PB is 129 s/100 m). Try to hold 132 s/100 m for a 400 m effort.
2. Bike – Target 5.7 W/kg for 30 min (≈365 W for a 63 kg rider). Use a power meter or estimate via heart‑rate zones (high‑170s to low‑180s bpm).
3. Run – Start with a 5 min/km “Walmart pace” for 10 min, then ramp to:
   • Marathon: 3:50 min/km (Jan Frodeno’s 2:42 marathon = 3:50 min/km).
   • Half‑marathon: 3:27 min/km (your PB 1:16 hr half‑marathon = 3:27 min/km).
   • 10 km: 2:55 min/km (Alistair Brownlee’s Olympic 10 k).
4. Cool‑down – Easy jog or walk, then review heart‑rate zones (stay in Zone 2‑3 for most of the effort).

Closing Note Give these elite‑level paces a try—adjust the distances and speeds to match your own fitness in the Pacing app, and see just how fast you can go. Good luck, and enjoy the challenge!

References

• How FAST do Olympic Champions Actually Run? - YouTube (YouTube Video)

Workout - Olympic Pace Challenge

• 10min @ 6'00''/km
• 1.6km @ 3'50''/km
• 2min rest
• 1.2km @ 3'27''/km
• 2min rest
• 800m @ 2'55''/km
• 10min @ 6'30''/km

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