More than 90 turns on a 26.2-mile, four-loop course. And a four-mile section with no straightaway as long as 800 meters. Yes, the 2012 Olympic Marathon course is a twisty, turny, narrow course, and one that could prove difficult for the runners, says David Monti of Race Results Weekly (via Runner's World).
"I agree with everyone that it's not going to be an easy course," Monti was told by Kevin Hanson, who coaches American Olympic marathoner Desiree Davila. "I like it when there's anything different with a course that creates a tactic, besides the distance itself," Hanson states.
Monti ran sections of the course with world champion Edna Kiplagat's husband and coach Gilbert Koech, and ING New York City Marathon Race Director Mary Wittenberg, and the group all agreed: It is "challenging, visually beautiful, and would provide an exciting experience for the fans because of how tight some sections were."
Here's a PDF of the course, and here's a video of what could be the most challenging section, the Leadenhall Market section:
Onto some links!
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Whoops!