For more on learning about Marathons, go our blog post detailing an exact guide to Marathons: or, check out the TypeRacer chat (Discord).
In the past few months, the competitive typing scene on TypeRacer has seen an uptake in participation in “Marathons” — i.e., completing a large number of races in a 24-hour period. This was inspired largely by Vielle, who dethroned Michael DeRoche’s long-standing Marathon record [of 3,097] three times in just a few week period, completing 3,820, 4,892, and 5,590 respectively, all within 24 hour periods. The 5,590 race marathon represents an average of 233 races per hour. (He also did 6,500 races without sleeping!)
Recent Marathons sorted by date — all completed by member of ECOL, a clan on TypeRacer comprised of a number of “elite” competitive typists, such as Erik Treider (typing up to 250wpm with just 4 fingers) and Liban.
#2: ⦗𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐋⦘ ⦓☾✹✯𝚅𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎✯✹☽⦔ – ~1,630 Races in 24 Hours (September 1st; former)
#1: ⦗𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐋⦘ ⦓☾✹✯𝚅𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎✯✹☽⦔ – 3,820 Races in 24 Hours (September 5th)
#1: ⦗𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐋⦘ ⦓☾✹✯𝚅𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎✯✹☽⦔ – 4,892 Races in 24 Hours (September 10th)
#4: ⦗𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐋⦘ 𝚅𝚘𝚕𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚜 – 2,001 Races in 24 Hours (September 11th; never forget)
#1: ⦗𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐋⦘ ⦓☾✹✯𝚅𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎✯✹☽⦔ – 5,590 Races in 24 Hours (September 19th)
#6: ⦗𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐋⦘ ♞Primal♞ – 1,418 Races in 24 Hours (September 22nd)
#9: ⦗𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐋⦘ JRC – 1,013 Races in 24 Hours (September 23th)
#2: ⦗𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐋⦘ Raptor – 3,109 Races in 24 Hours (October 20th)
You can check out the Marathons board here at the Type Racer Data site.
We’ve conducted an “Ask me anything” to celebrate Vielle’s 5,590 Marathon.
Ask me Anything with ⦗𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐋⦘ ⦓☾✹✯𝚅𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎✯✹☽⦔
1) What got you interested in typing marathons?
What got me into TypeRacer marathons was the very same reason that drove me to do record-breaking sessions for most races without stopping on another typing game (which we’ll get to later). What really clicked for me that I needed to do sessions/marathons didn’t even come from some far-off goal. In-fact it was when I was racing for longer periods of time and then finding out I would actually be the #2 marathon record-holder if I just did a few more races. It was at that very moment that I realized It was that it was my chance to define a new untouched land of TypeRacer. As beckoning as the thought of racing for 24 hours without eating or little breaks is, it is a “kill two birds with one stone” sort of deal when you are able to add on watching videos with racing. Marathons are, at the end of the day, something to look impressively upon.
2) How long have you been typing and how did you learn to type?
I have been typing at an early age, as I was always exposed to computers in my lifetime, and it was only 5 years ago that I averaged 60-70 wpm, to which I later doubled my average speed in just a year afterwards when I did find typing as this venue for improvement, racing, and to get competitive about. As for how I learned to type? It’s the very same as saying “How did you learn to use the Xbox 360 Controller”” to which there really was no foreign understanding of how to type as much as there was to naturally refine your typing and naturally make inputs better than your last. In that very same sense it is playing and adaptability for how I learned to type where I was today.
3) What’s your experience in competitive typing?
My experience in competitive typing came distinctly from Nitro Type in 2012 where I found that this world of competitive typing existed. During the time I played NitroType I had heard of TypeRacer but never got into it, this was due to issues with cheating, lack of intrinsic/extrinsic gratification etc. Through NitroType I found that hardly any people were active, rewards were plenty, and I had a definite shot at #1 and defining this resource abundant paradise which once existed. Typing faster was of course an important reason, but that has always gone hand-in-hand with my ultimate interest. To be a generation-defining figure in a new venue of social and competitive enterprise. To be find any ways to maximize fame through marathons, headline making achievements left-and-right, as well as countless accomplishments. This is exactly what I did NitroType with session records, single-handedly creating the environment that led to teams, being a leadership figure in features and representing and defining a new generation of people in the game. That is to me, what competitive typing is all about. That’s what I see in TypeRacer and what I can do is the same of which I did in NitroType. And ultimately it is the fact that TypeRacer gives me that opportunity to as where Nitro Type has gone against its community countless times and shot itself in the foot time after time that brings me here.
4) How fast do you type, and what recommendations do you have for average users who want to type faster?
It always is the same improvement process in other video games. You do controller inputs faster, and more precisely accurate. Most of my improvement has been very natural. I never felt capped in speed nor did it seem like I reached my peak in my entire improvement process, albeit I may be around the very limits of that as I can’t type faster than 165+ on average on Nitro Type or 10FastFingers excluding race-selection. On TypeRacer, which I have slowly adjusted to and still am with my Corsair K95 RGB Platinum, it is too inconsistent to give a definite answer, and my speed has been shaky with marathons, but all I can say is to watch out. In the case of people who can’t type faster it’s a matter of if you are being held back. Is it accuracy? More-specifically is your keystroke synchronization off or mistimed? What words specifically are you struggling on? Look at your race replays or take mental notes. Make psycho-analytical observations of your typing and see where your floors and ceilings are in typing. With more understandings of what holds you back you can then tackle those issues with each race you get and refine your typing style to perfection. Believe it or not, your errors are not unique to you, the TypeRacer Discord has a lot of people that have struggled or share the same qualms and concerns as you may have, which is why when you detail your problems take feedback, criticism, and describe it. You’ll be impressed by just how much of the community will be helpful and supportive, which I would also take a look at and race with people and have constructive conversations of what you find easier, or harder, compared to other people. So that’s why I would take a visit to the TypeRacer Discord. It could be an eye-opening glimpse furthermore, what else is there to lose to by looking, as well as addressing, your problems from a socially constructive perspective?
Most importantly keep typing, and Practice Perfect.
5) How did you actually manage to type for a full 24 hours? Isn’t that kind of crazy?
Staying up that long wasn’t the issue. Typing non-stop with zero loading times meaning that I start typing the moment I move on to the next race – this was simply endurance and perseverance alone. Endurance typing has always been one of my excelling traits, and what pushes me to do that endurance is intrinsic motivation alone. Is it crazy? Certainly. By the time I was 30 hours in the part that got made me stop racing was accuracy and speed dropoffs being that problematic that it made me want to stop typing entirely as I could not do 3.5 races a minute at given times because of it. I ended up staying up a few hours after before going to sleep. But if my accuracy didn’t affect my typing that much I would’ve kept on typing. Which is why if you are doing a marathon run, focus more than anything is absolutely necessary to keep a marathon run successful.
6) What got you into typeracer?
What got me into TypeRacer was its community. Funnily enough what made me took another look into it was its community first and foremost. And my first glimpse into the community stemmed from my natural curiosity and amazement of TypeRacer after first chatting to you [Jon] to which made me wake up and realize what I was missing out on TypeRacer, and the future that was ahead of it. TypeRacer was more listening to its community, the competitive scene hasn’t been taken advantage of, and I have a site to make legendary achievements and be sufficiently rewarded for them, so much in-so (to my amazement) TypeRacer wrote blog posts about them. Something I never got out of Nitro Type. I’ve been here before, I’ve became a renowned figure that had been etched into history as a definitive game-changing figure on another typing site before. Now I am older, more experienced, and I want to do it this time again — but better. And most importantly be a part of a community.
7) When did you start playing typeracer and how old are you?
I am 18 years of age. And I initially first played TypeRacer on my Vielle account in November 2012. I later then created an account in 2015 forgetting about my other account and eventually started racing seriously. But for the record you can call me Vielle.
If you have any more questions – ask in the comments section and I will answer them.
