Mo Farah v Luke Littler. It’s become a sensational debate on social media.
And though athletics and darts fans are picking sides, the question is not how fast Littler can run a half-marathon. It’s whether he can finish one. And whether Farah can hit a dartboard.
Before we address this debate, let’s take a look at what the potential challenge (which has not yet been confirmed) entails, and who is taking part.
Here’s the deal, if it happens: The two men, both British, will run a half-marathon (21.1km) and after every mile (1.6km) they cover they will have to complete a 501 checkout on a dartboard before they can continue.
The competitors
Man number one: Littler is a 19-year-old professional darts player who is ranked first in the world and has won two world titles.
Man number two: Farah is a 43-year-old former professional long-distance runner who won four Olympic titles and six world titles over the 5 000m and 10 000m distances.
He doesn’t know it yet, but Littler is going to struggle more than he thinks.
The darts specialist won’t be walking in the closing stages. He will be hobbling slower than an octogenarian with a cane climbing a mountain.
The average person, according to AI, can cover a half-marathon in two hours, 15 minutes. But Littler is not even an amateur athlete. He plays darts. He will do well to go under three hours.
Challenge for Farah
So the question becomes: How quickly can Farah get through a solo game of 501.
He could be held up so long trying to hit those doubles, Littler might be able to stop for a nap.
AI tells us it takes between three and 10 minutes for an average person to complete 501 on the board. But Farah is not even an amateur darts player. He’s a guy who used to run fast.
Based on all of this, despite how quickly Farah can run, I think even a hobbling Littler will win, as long as he can reach the finish.
If they take on this challenge, it’s likely they will raise money for charity, which is enough reason to do it.
And I’ll watch it. It should be very entertaining.
