The Dawn Wall free climb explained in running terms

There’s been much excitement this week after American climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson conquered the Dawn Wall of the 3,000-foot rock formation dubbed “El Capitan” on their 19-day free climb. The pair became the first to climb the wall without the usual climbing aids.

As runner’s, we love to try to make comparisons to what any physical challenge would be in comparison to a foot race. And so the Dawn Wall hype got runners turning to letsrun.com asking the question “What’s the running equivalent to the Dawn Wall climb?”

Sure, you can’t really compare climbing the Dawn Wall to running, but just for fun, we’re going to illustrate the evolution of what debate anyway. Here are the take-home points from the discussion:

1. Climbing the Dawn Wall is to run several 2:15 marathons and then run a sub-13-minute 5K for three days in a row.

2. Oh, and conditions would not be ideal. Then you must run another two 2:20 marathons after that for it to be the exact same as a free climb of the Dawn Wall.

3. Incorrect. Climbing the Dawn Wall is to break 15:00 in a 5K.

4. Actually, climbing the Dawn Wall is to break a 4:15 mile.

5. This is still wrong. The Dawn Wall equivalent is to run 52 marathons in 52 weeks.

6. Let’s just compare climbing to a 5K. You must run the 5K faster than 13:10.

7. Climbing is dumb.

8. Running is dumb.

9.Why are we comparing the two?

10. To do the Dawn Wall is to use the marathon as a “fun run” and then race a 100-miler.

11. You would have to run up Everest.

12. No. It’s more like Anton Krupicka running the Third Flatiron.

13. Running and climbing are different sports.