The New York Times has a great article on the need of a kick in todays elite marathoners hoping to win a marathon. For me running sub 5:00 miles is a kick 
Some runners have better short-distance speed than others, presumably giving them an advantage if a race is close at the end. Mary Wittenberg, the director of the New York City Marathon, which will be run Sunday, said a kick was almost mandatory for elite runners now.
“It used to be in our marathon that the winner was the one who could last longest,” she said. “That’s no longer good enough. Now, at the end, you need to be fast as well as strong. It’s come down to a fast finish and it’s changed the way runners train. They know they need finishing speed.”
Abdi Abdirahman of the United States, the fifth-place finisher in last year’s race, agreed. “If it comes down to the last 800 meters,” he said, “you’re going to need it.
Link.
