British astronaut Tim Peake ran the London Marathon on a treadmill aboard the International Space Station. He became the first man and second person to run a marathon in orbit after US astronaut Sunita Williams ran the Boston Marathon on the ISS in 2007.
Every year, thousands of people gather in London to participate in one of the world’s most popular running events. The marathon is run over a largely flat course around the River Thames, and spans 42.195 kilometres (26 miles and 385 yards). This setting was unavailable for Tim Peake, so he had to settle for a treadmill onboard the International Space Station. He joined marathoners from 400 km above wearing weights on his body to counter the zero gravity conditions. Before the race, Peake twitted:
Hello #London! Fancy a run? :) #LondonMarathon https://t.co/CvaUjUo7IU pic.twitter.com/SLckqOp8Gk
— Tim Peake (@astro_timpeake) April 24, 2016
He finished the marathon in three hours, 35 minutes and 21 seconds, according to estimated times posted on the website of the European Space Agency. Peake trained specifically for the marathon for weeks and used an iPad showing a moving image of the run so he could feel more in the race.
While running in orbit, Peake was joined by two team members on the ground who were running dressed in replica Russian space suits.
@LibbyJackson__ cheering you on
