let alone set record running time
what does it mean ''let alone set record running time'' and '' to be just as likely to'' in this sentence:
Not only that, a second study proved that older athletes can achieve the same degree of physical improvement as those in their twenties and thirties. In other words, they are just as likely to achieve their peak fitness as younger athletes. 25 years ago few 60 year old men even fewer woman would have considered it possible to complete a marathon let alone set record running time.
Thank you
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Answers · 8
1
That's not quite right. Did you perhaps copy it wrongly? I think it should be 'let alone set record running times'. Either that, or it wasn't written by a native speaker. '"men even fewer woman" is also incorrect. but...
'let alone' is a set phrase that means something like 'and is even less likely to'.
e.g. He's got a broken foot. He can't walk, let alone run'.
When someone breaks a record, they 'set' a new record.
Is the rest clear?
1
"even fewer woman would have considered it possible to complete a marathon let alone set record running time."
They would not have thought they could complete a marathon, and they definitely didn't think they could set a record with how fast they could run.
This is pretty common phrasing in English: they couldn't X, let alone Y. X is an action, Y is a more difficult action.
I hope that helps!
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