如果你是名馬拉松愛好者，那么今天我們介紹的詞匯你一定要掌握，因為它與你跑步的平均步速和距離息息相關。

Kipsang number refers to the maximum distance a person could run at the average pace used by Wilson Kipsang while setting the marathon world record.
“基普桑數字”指一個人能以威爾森·基普桑創造馬拉松世界紀錄時的平均步速跑出的最長距離。

顯然，“基普桑數字”與運動員威爾森·吉普森有關，他是何許人也？在長跑方面有多牛呢？

Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich (born 15 March 1982) is a Kenyan athlete who specialises in long-distance running, competing in events ranging from 10 km to the marathon. He was the bronze medallist in the marathon at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He is the former world record holder in the marathon with a time of 2:03:23, which he set at the 2013 Berlin Marathon.
威爾森·基普桑生于1982年3月15日，是一名肯尼亞長跑運動員。他參加的賽事從10公里長跑到馬拉松級別的都有。他曾在2012年夏季奧運會中，摘得馬拉松項目的銅牌。他還是馬拉松項目的前世界紀錄保持者，當年，他以2:03:23的成績在2013年柏林馬拉松賽上刷新了世界紀錄。

了解了基普桑后，“基普桑數字”的由來又是什么呢？來看看造詞的人是怎么說的：

Back when Wilson Kipsang set the world record, my running friends and I came up with the "Kipsang number," which represented how long could you keep up with Wilson Kipsang while he was running twenty-six miles. I am a devoted runner and my Kipsang number is less than a mile. The average, healthy, athletic, American, twenty-two-year old varsity athlete in a sport other than track probably has a Kipsang number of between 400 and 800 metres. You could keep up with him for a quarter of a mile, then you would collapse in exhaustion.
想當年，當威爾森·基普桑創造世界紀錄時，我跑步的朋友和我一起想出了“基普桑數字”。這個詞是指基普桑跑26英里時，你能跟著他跑多遠。我是名跑步愛好者，我的基普桑數字是不到一公里。大多數22歲，健康、熱愛運動的美國大學校隊非田徑項目運動員的基普桑數字，可能在400-800米之間。你可能可以跟著他跑0.25公里，然后就會精疲力盡體力不支。

這么看來“基普桑數字”就是一種尺度，是來衡量你以馬拉松冠軍同一步速能跑多遠的。

For example:

What's your Kipsang number? I think I'd have 200m. Then I'd need oxygen.
你的“基普桑數字”是多少？我想我的是200米，然后我就需要吸氧了。

（中國日報網英語點津 丁一）