The International Space Station is the ideal place for a huge number of experiments, but if there is one that stands above the rest, it is the very presence of astronauts there. Microgravity can have serious consequences on the human body; however, with a strict training regime, it is possible to compensate for some of its effects. That brings us to the marathon run by British astronaut Tim Peake, in synchronization with the marathon that took place in London. This is not the first time something like this has been done... but now Peake is the fastest.
All space agencies have studied the effects of microgravity on the human body very closely, and continue to do so. The available information tells us about the Space Adaptation Syndrome, which on average affects half of the astronauts, but its immediate impact (nausea, vomiting, headaches and general discomfort) usually does not extend beyond 72 hours. In reality, what worries astronauts and doctors on the ground most is the loss of bone and muscle density suffered in microgravity environments. The best way to combat this is with training, and for that reason we very often see astronauts on a treadmill, completely strapped in to avoid 'floating away'. Yesterday, the 2016 edition of the famous London Marathon took place, and despite being a little far away, British astronaut Tim Peake, member of Expeditions 46 and 47, decided to participate in his own way.
According to the official result, Peake finished his 42 kilometers in 3 hours, 35 minutes and 21 seconds. This makes him about 17 minutes slower than when he participated in the marathon in 1999 (03:18:50), but it automatically turned him into the fastest marathon runner in space. The previous record belonged to American astronaut Sunita Williams, who ran alongside the Boston Marathon in 2007, with a time of 4 hours and 24 minutes. Of course, it is difficult to compare both attempts, since the supports and loads of both astronauts were very different. To this we must add the discomfort, and inevitably the pain caused by the harness while running for so long.
Even so, pain tolerance is not enough. Peake had to work with a specialist to improve his running posture, and minimize as much as possible the risk of injury. After all, an injured astronaut can continue with his general tasks, but would be unable to train, causing more problems in the long run. Peake will be officially recorded in the Guinness records... until another astronaut decides to try it and go faster still.
