That Geoffrey Mutai won the Boston Marathon last year was no surprise. That he won in 2:03:02, however, is another matter. “Stunning” is a word often misused, but not in the case of the fastest marathon ever run. The fine points of why Mutai’s time does not count as the world record have been oft repeated in the past year: Boston’s course is point-to-point with a net elevation loss that exceeds the IAAF’s limits, so is not considered “legal” for record purposes. Yet few in the sport consider Boston an easy course, with its early and sharp downhills known for coming back to haunt, if not cripple, incautious runners later in the race. Isn’t there a loophole somewhere under which an otherwise challenging course such as Boston’s or New York’s could—and should— be made record-legal?

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