Peter Riegel

Peter Riegel is an American engineer and is known for developing a formula with which the running time of a running route can be predicted. The bar formula is widely used in endurance sports and is popular for its simplicity and accuracy.

Prediction of the running time

According to its publication in "Runners World" magazine (1977), the Riegel formula is

${\displaystyle T_{2}=T_{1}\cdot (D_{2}:D_{1})^{k}}$

There are:

${\displaystyle T_{2}}$:	expected time for the route ${\displaystyle D_{2}}$
${\displaystyle T_{1}}$:	Time needed for the route ${\displaystyle D_{1}}$
${\displaystyle D_{2}}$:	Route for which you want to predict the time required
${\displaystyle D_{1}}$:	Distance for which the time is needed ${\displaystyle T_{1}}$
${\displaystyle k}$:	Fatigue factor, usually assumed to be 1.06

According to an article by Riegel in the American Scientist , the formula applies to running times between three and a half and 230 minutes for various endurance activities such as running , swimming and walking .

Example:

The world record time for 5,000 meters is currently (June 2017) 12: 37.35 minutes, that is 757.58 seconds. The expected time for 10,000 meters is therefore according to the Riegel formula

${\displaystyle T_{10000}=757{,}58\ s\cdot (10000\ m:5000\ m)^{1{,}06}=1579{,}51\ \mathrm {Sekunden\ oder} \ 26\colon 19{,}31\ \mathrm {Minuten} .}$
The actual value of the current world record is 26: 17.53 minutes, the deviation is therefore only around 0.1 percent. Applying the formula to other routes provides similarly good values.

Career

Riegel graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1959 and received his master's degree from the University of Villanova in 1966. He worked at the Battelle Institute in Columbus, Ohio , where he worked on equipment for the deep sea - Diving and working on the airflow in coal mines. He has published numerous articles on sewage treatment , diving equipment, motorcycles and long distance running.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Riegel, Peter S. (May – June 1981). "Athletic Records and Human Endurance". American Scientist. 69: 285-290.