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The internet has been here before – every few years we all get hooked on some ridiculous hypothetical scenario and debate it passionately as if any of us really know the real outcome.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Last year, it was the 100 men vs one gorilla scenario which led to many arguments, falling outs and maybe even the odd ruined marriage – seriously people REALLY cared.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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While, there were solid arguments on both sides of that primate problem, ultimately no one was willing to be tribute and get in the enclosure with an actual silverback gorilla, leaving us with no definitive answer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n Well, fear not, because the global hive mind has moved on, and we’ve got a new hyperfixation – and it’s a lot more grounded in the realms of reality.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n The internet is now asking, who would win in a race between legendary long distance runner Mo Farah and kid prodigy turned unstoppable darts sensation Luke Littler.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Of course, there are caveats to this ‘race’, which would be over the distance of a half marathon and would see each participant check out 501 (double to finish) at each mile.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n This means 13.1 miles of running, 13 legs of 501 and a 160m sprint to the finish line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Look, it’s obvious both participants have their own strengths going into this one, as per Farah’s website, his fastest half marathon time is 59:22, which is, for those not versed in running, pretty fast.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Meanwhile, Littler is the best darts player in the world, as per the official rankings, and, as is the case for most professional darts players, could check out 501 in as fast as anything between one and five minutes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Of course, this is information we know, the real conundrum revolves around what we don’t know and that is how fast Luke Littler runs a half marathon and how good Mo Farah is at darts – the most we can do is safely assume neither is particularly fantastic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n There is a number of satisfying parallels between the Winter Olympic sport of biathlon, and this thrilling thought experiment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n While the biathlon combines endurance skiing with multiple rounds of shooting at set intervals, this challenge combines endurance running with multiple rounds of darts at set intervals also.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n It is effectively the same thing just with less snow and more ‘Bully’s special prize’.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Biathlon is famous for the cardiac strain it puts on its athletes, seeing huge spikes in heart rate while skiing, with this number plummeting at the shooting station in order to achieve steady aim.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Furthermore, it is a known technique that biathletes will shoot between heartbeats for the best stability.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n With this in mind, it must be considered how each Farah and Littler will control their breathing at the oche.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n While Littler will have mastered his breathing as a pro darts player, he may struggle with bringing his heart rate down and is also likely to experience extreme fatigue as the run continues into its latter stages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Meanwhile, as a professional runner, Farah will have a very low and settled heart rate, helping him get a steady shot off at the darts board, and will be less likely to tire by the 13th round of 501.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n It wouldn’t be 2026 without asking the all-knowing, super computer that is artificial intelligence about this hugely important cultural debate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\nThe all-important numbers<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
A modern biathlon of sorts<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
So, what does AI say?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n