A British astronaut will run the London Marathon in space
One treadmill. 26.2 miles on the ISS.
Running the London Marathon is hard enough. Running it in space? That's another challenge entirely. British astronaut Tim Peake is headed to the International Space Station (ISS) on December 15th and wants to complete the race at the same time as everyone down on Earth. He won't be running the actual route though -- instead, he'll be on a treadmill with a harness system that includes a waist-belt and shoulder straps. These will apply some much-needed downforce to counter Peake's weightlessness and recreate his natural running style in space. He'll also have a video feed of the route which will speed up and slow down to reflect his pace.
Running 26.2 miles on the ISS will be tricky. In space there's no wind or rain to keep you cool, no cheering spectators and no fellow competitors to keep you motivated. Just the stars and a few curious astronauts. Peake has, however, completed the London Marathon before, clocking 3 hours, 18 minutes and 50 seconds in 1999. On April 24th, he hopes to complete the same distance between 3.5 and 4 hours. A formidable task for any runner on Earth, never mind one battling the harsh conditions of space.
[Image Credit: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images]
