Katharine Merry gives her verdict on why the men’s 800 metres has had a mass increase in fast times.

By Alex Ridout

Athletics enthusiasts will have noticed an abundance of new talent within the men’s 800 metres, with so many athletes running times that years before they could only have dreamt of.

In fact, the whole collective of 800 metre runners have taken the event to a whole new level.

Men taking over two seconds off their personal bests in a matter of months, and it won’t stop there, as the event has provided some of the most exciting races in the sport over the last several years, filled with such a high level of fast times and sensational performances.

The question is why this is happening, and has the event found a new age where world class times of the past are now just the norm?

Despite an increase in the standard of pace-making, and advancements in sports science, the most obvious answer to that question is the latest generation of running spike.

Started by Nike’s Vapour Fly spikes, the whole athletics world has seen carbon plated “super shoes” change the game in allowing athletes to save energy, whilst being more explosive along the track.

Every single shoe sponsor was immediately at work to try and replicate these spikes for their athletes, as the benefits they gave to athletes that possessed them were clear to see, both by the times in training and in competition.

From 100 metres to the marathon, these shoes have been a game changer, with analysts believing that a 10,000 metre athlete running the distance in 30 minutes would be able to take off 25 seconds just with the new equipment alone.

Paris Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi is a prime example of the development in the sport, and how these new shoes have elevated his performances far past what seemed possible only a few years ago.

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The decorated track star, only 21-years-old, has been at the top of his event for a number of years, running 1:43 or under nine times during both the previous seasons (2024 and 2025), as the graph below shows.

However, the consistency of these top-level performances wasn’t always as high.

The Kenyan only performed one sub 1:44 run during both the 2021 and 2022 seasons, before jumping to five in 2023, and nine the following two years.

Unsurprisingly, this is when the so called “super shoes” started to make a clear difference in the top level of the sport.

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In the development in pb’s, same can be said for the Kenyan’s main rival, Marco Arop.

The 27-year-old Canadian athlete too follows the trend of running faster time on more of a consistent basis from 2024 onwards.

Arop only ran sub 1:44 on two occasions in 2022, though by the time the 2024 has concluded he had run that standard eight times in that year alone, including three 1:41 performances.

Therefore, something triggered an increase in the standard of the general 800 metre runner during 2023, with most believing that the new generation of spike is the cause of the surge.

Though there are more reasons why such a dramatic shift in athletes times, on a very consistent basis, has occurred.

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Sydney Olympics 400 metre bronze medallist and athletics commentator Katharine Merry explained her views into why the event has seen such a boost in quality.

She said: “I think shoe technology is a huge part of it. Some of the top coaches even state that it will take off a second a lap.

“Also, events go through cycles and have peaks of performances in terms of depth, which in itself promotes better competition,” Merry added.

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Merry also emphasised the importance of the new shoe technology, especially the carbon fibre plate that runs along the bottom, and the long term effect it will have.

Merry said: “I believe these sets of times will be the norm due to shoe technology. Running 1:42 – 43 is the new 1:44.”

The Sydney Olympic medallist also isn’t ruling out the famous world record of David Rudisha being broken in the near future.

She said: ““It’s been under threat for the last couple of years due advancements.

“Names like Arop, Sedjati and Amos were talked about.

“It goes to show how amazing Rudisha’s record is and Seb’s (Coe) was to run it in 2012 and 1981.

“Who will break it? Maybe even a new kid on the block.”

Fans of the event have been treated to some generational races and rivalries over the last two years, with so many athletes pushing each other with times that, despite their quality, have somehow becomes normalised due to the mass amount of fast runs.

Rudisha’s famous world record, that was solo ran so impressively during the 2012 Olympic final in London, is starting to feel like just a matter of times before one of the many athletes that have been sniffing around it can finally get over the line.

Athletics enthusiasts can just sit back and enjoy watching potential history unfold before their eyes.

Featured image of Katharine Merry interviewing Luke Cutts: Glen Bowman via Wikimedia Commons