I'd think that if you covered the distance with your legs, it would count. Walk, run or crawl would count, as it is in the IM rulebook. If you're trying to set a record for most consecutive days doing a marathon, then you'd have all day to cover the distance.

Now, if you want to quibble about doing it on a treadmill (fine for indoor record, but if you want to count it for an overall record that might be different) or on an elliptical (!), then that might be different.

I was thinking the question was leaning to "what is the minimum pace to be considered running?"

7:00 per mile? 9:00? 12:00? Whatever LetsRun says, LOL?

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Disney and Philly cutoff times are 7hrs. So if you want to quibble, use that

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Cutoff times for megathons are 6 hours...maybe 7...so you could use that. But GWR is the only outfit I can think of that verifies records of novelty events like this, so contacting them directly might be the safest thing to do.

If you're trying to define what is a run vs what is a walk, look up the standard for the goofy speed walking, and if you're doing the opposite of that I guess you're running?

Or you just define your run with a race qualifier. Run at a minimum pace of 9min/km sorta thing.

Another data point: Kona has a 10.5hr bike cuttoff and a 17hr finish cutoff....so a lower limit of 6.5hrs for the marathon.

It's worth considering that a moderate walking pace (3mph) will get you through a marathon in ~8:45.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
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How is that a lower (or upper) limit for the marathon when you can easily run the marathon faster or slower than that at Kona?

The difference between run and walk is the former has a flight phase. That starts to happen between 4.5-5 mph for most people IIRC. That is how I would define such a pace as running vs walking pace.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
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26.2 miles, not sure how allowable a couple steps of walking are.

But people who refer to 70.3s as "I did an IM" are just incorrect

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Trail running has a "flight phase" when you're walking along or stutter-stepping and you trip over something & fall down LOL

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

So given the 50km walk world records are 3:32 for men and 3:52 for women, so if you're not running a marathon in sub 3 as a man or 3:13 as a woman, you're a walker?

It's the lower limit of the cutoff. Every competitor will be allotted at least 6.5hrs to complete the marathon.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
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As you can see from all the replies, it seems to be a personal thing. It is left to us to decide if so and so's endurance consecutive day running adventure was in the legit arena or not. It really can't be walking, there have been many ironman records set with folks walking every aid station. And most endurance runs have a fair bit of walking built into them, especially when they eat on the course. I think some just set up some arbitrary time like the 6 to 7 hours and run with that. Others might just say you got to get in 26.2 miles during the 24 hours, however you do it on your feet.

For me when I see these types of events folks put out there, I look at the times vs days spent, and make my own calculations as to its worthiness. Like when Rait ran 60 marathons in 60 days, all at low 3 hours, and that was at the end of a full, solo triathlon each day too!!!! Just the running part of that was super impressive to me, let alone the 10 hour Ironmans he averaged those 60 days. Way more impressive than say someone doing 200 days of a marathon, but only averaging 6 hours or so.

But each person is wowed by different metrics, some the longevity of a thing, others by the pace achieved along with endurance..I was very impressed with the 7 marathons on t continents race and I think the guy averaged 2;45 or so, staring in the arctic and running on ice for the first one!!

Thanks all!

There are many obvious traps in defining how much walking counts that would immediately start fistfights, even in civilized company :)

Of course, this isn't a hypothetical question...

Someone is in the midst of a "most consecutive days to run a marathon" effort, not a "most consecutive days to complete a marathon distance" effort, and does an awful lot of walking, and a lot of them are 8/9+hr runs.

Does this personally offend me? No, not at all. Am I curious as to whether having some days where you've walked most of it would be ratified by Guinness or other record-keeping body...yes, yes I am.

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Eliot
blog thing - strava thing

Thanks, I now understand what you mean by lower limit, but the OP is asking for a defined upper limit.

I'm struggling to comprehend the relevance of the 6.5 hour data point from Kona, where even a journeyman competitor can finish within the cut-off with a 10 hour marathon. Isn't that a no less relevant data point?

This.

If someone wants to be recognised as among the best runners in the world, enter a race, prove yourself against others.

So many over-hyped "world records" and improbable achievements over the years, so often from those with little or no achievements before or since their monumental and too often poorly verified "records".

The guise of charity can be a very effective shield from scrutiny and criticism.

I was following someone on Strava doing just this - most consecutive days of 'running' a marathon and supposedly ratified by Guinness. They clearly had the fitness as there were some (occasional) fast (3'30"ish) times in there, but (for me) there were too many days of 9-10 hour marathons, with lots of walking and lots of breaks (45min/km). I have no issue with walking the odd km, but the regular long breaks made me give up following them. I do feel the 6-7 hour cutoff seems about right.

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From Buttsfeed "Marathon Verbs, Ranked"

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2. Ran
3. Volunteered
4. Did/Finished
5. Started
6. Entered
7. Considered
8. Attended
9. Heard about
10. Watched on Peacock

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

It's literally called walking. Fast walking. Race walking, speed walking. I've never cared for looking up the standard, but it's defined as having at least one foot on the ground at all times. So yes, that's a walker.

So to be running a marathon, it's fair to say you need to spend at least 50% of your steps where both feet aren't making contact with the ground at the same time.

It's possible to do a slow run and a fast walk. If the standard is "what's a walk vs a run" you need to define them.

Put yourself in the RDs shoes. You need to figure out how much time the slowest competitor should reasonably be allowed for the marathon (slow overall, not slow in one leg). That's why the 6:30 value has some relevance. If you don't like it as a data point, feel free to use others; there are no absolute right answers here.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

I have worn a RD's shoes for over a decade, organising an ultra with three intermediate cut-offs. At times, we'd even pull runners between the cut-off points.

I agree with there being no "right" answers here. But the OP makes a point that it requires a decisive one.

We're not talking a race though. The challenge as per the OP is defined by whatever rules are decided by the organisers or arbiters of the challenge. Whether the answer is determined to be before midnight or 6:30, it has zero to do with a race where competitors can legitimately walk the marathon in 10 hours and still be celebrated as a finisher.

The cut-offs for Kona certainly have relevance.....for Kona. Not for this though.

You've prob seen this but there have been several guys/girls who have "run across America". In all their videos, there is lots and lots of walking, sometimes with hiking poles. However, none of them call their event "walk across America". So, make of this what you will but I think after 1000 miles or so, most runners would be reduced to just walking in order to finish this 3000-ish mile event.

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

ericmulk wrote:

You've prob seen this but there have been several guys/girls who have "run across America". In all their videos, there is lots and lots of walking, sometimes with hiking poles. However, none of them call their event "walk across America". So, make of this what you will but I think after 1000 miles or so, most runners would be reduced to just walking in order to finish this 3000-ish mile event.

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Satanellus knows a thing or two about running across a continent...
The trailer for the Trans Australia Footrace (The Race of Fire) in 2001.He came 9th.
Trans-Australia Footrace (aura.asn.au)
(I'll track down the full documentary if people want to see it)

I see, just disregard my comments then. Obv Satellanus knows about walking as needed. :)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."