Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge runs unofficial marathon in under two hours

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, the marathon world record holder, celebrates after a successful attempt to run a marathon in under two hours in Vienna, Austria (Source: Reuters)

Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge made athletics history on Saturday when he became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours although his remarkable effort will not be recognised by the sport’s governing body.

The Olympic marathon champion and world record holder completed a course around Vienna’s Prater Park in one hour 59:40 minutes on a cool, misty and windless autumnal morning.

Guided by rotating seven-man teams of pacesetters, many of themselves renowned athletes, and an electric pacecar which shone green lasers onto the track, Kipchoge averaged around 2.50 minutes per kilometre.

He reached the halfway mark in 59.35 seconds, 11 seconds inside the target, and ran remarkably consistently with his one-kilometre times fluctuating between 2.48 and 2.52 seconds.

For me, this is the most impressive sporting achievement in history. Absolutely moved to tears to be able to witness this in my lifetime. A sub-2hour marathon. To get perspective, go and try to run at 21kph for 300meters….
Incredible @EliudKipchoge & everyone behind @INEOS159 pic.twitter.com/fW9ZJVZNzg

— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) October 12, 2019

For the last kilometre, the pacemakers and car peeled away and Kipchoge pointed to the crowd and smiled as he completed the run.

The IAAF has said it would not recognise the run as an official record because it was not in open competition and it used in and out pacemakers although its president Sebastian Coe had welcomed the record attempt.

The run, organised and funded by the British chemical company INEOS and dubbed the INEOS 1.59 challenge, was Kipchoge’s second attempt to break the barrier, having missed out by 26 seconds in Monza two hours ago.