INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Tim Peake, British Astronaut Living On International Space Station, Breaks Marathon Record In Space

By Pam Wright
Published on: 03:33 PST, Apr 25, 2016

Tim Peake, a British astronaut living on the International Space Station (ISS), broke the record for the fastest marathon run in space.

According to the BBC, Major Tim Peake completed the marathon while running concurrently with the London Marathon held on Earth Sunday on a treadmill on the space station, and completed the 26.2-mile distance in about three hours, 35 minutes.

Peake is the second person to complete a marathon in space, after U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams, who ran the Boston Marathon on the ISS in 2007 in a time of four hours, 23 minutes, and 10 seconds.

The Guinness World Records confirmed that Peake broke the record on its website.

“Guinness World Records can confirm that ESA Astronaut Tim Peake has achieved a brand new Guinness World Records title for the Fastest marathon in orbit.”

Peake opened the London marathon by counting down in a video message as runners waited at the start line in the British capital, according to phys.org.

He then joined them 400 kilometres above earth, wearing weights on his body to counter the zero gravity conditions.

Before the race, Peake tweeted a message to his fellow Earthlings from space, with a view of London from his perspective.

In order to keep from floating off the treadmill in the station’s Tranquility Node, Tim reportedly ran while being harnessed on the running belt but said it “was like running with a clumsy rucksack on.”

The harness is designed to keep the runner on the treadmill, generating enough foot force necessary to give astronauts’ bones and muscles a workout while being weightless.

“One of the biggest challenges is the harness system. Obviously, my bodyweight has to be firmly attached to the treadmill by this harness, and that can rub on the shoulders and around the waist.”

Before Peake’s historic run, he spoke with reporters and called the marathon a “great challenge.”

“I’m quite glad that this is happening later on in the mission so I’ve had plenty of time to get used to the T2 treadmill.”

While Sunday’s run is Peake’s first marathon from space, it’s not the first time he completed 26.2-mile race. He ran the London Marathon in 1999, finishing in three hours, 18 minutes and 50 seconds.

Tim Peake missed his on-Earth marathon time by about 17 minutes, but he didn’t push himself per orders from his medical team to ensure he was healthy for his return to Earth in June.

After the marathon, Peake tweeted a second message.

The International Space Station circles the Earth at a relative velocity of 17,900 m.p.h., so Peake covered more than 53,000 miles during his run, according to the BBC.

Back on earth in London, more than 39,000 people completed the 39th London Marathon.

The men’s race winner was Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, who finished in two hours, three minutes, and five seconds, the second fastest time ever recorded.

Kipchoge’s fellow Kenyan, Jemima Sumgong, won the women’s title, finishing in two hours, 22 minutes, and 58 seconds, despite having hit her head in a heavy fall during the race.

[Photo by AP Images]

Share this article: Tim Peake, British Astronaut Living On International Space Station, Breaks Marathon Record In Space
More from Inquisitr