Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge ran a marathon in under two hours today in Vienna. He ran the 26.2-mile distance in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds. Just let that soak in, let that soak in that he ran 4:34 minutes per mile for the whole race!
WOW!
Unfortunately, this will not count as a world record but Kipchoge thinks this will be the start of many sub two hour marathons.
As the Washington Post reported
The race against the clock, backed by the British petrochemicals billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, unfolded on a 9.6-kilometer (6-mile) circuit of perfectly flat, tree-lined road, handpicked for this attempt.
Although it was the quickest marathon ever recorded, the effort won’t count as a world record because it didn’t come in a race setting and he relied on rotating pacemakers.
But for all the assistance he received over seven months of preparation and nearly two hours of running, 34-year-old Kipchoge waved off the pacemakers with some 500 yards to go. It was clear to him then that he wouldn’t simply break the two-hour barrier but shatter it. His face creased into a grin and he finished solo, flashing thumbs-up at the fans, and pointing at the giant clock above the finish line.
Kipchoge jumped into the arms of his wife, who had never seen him run a marathon in person, and was then immediately hoisted onto the shoulders of his team, waving the Kenyan flag.
“I’m expecting more athletes to run under two hours after today,” said Kipchoge, the winner of eight major marathons and three Olympic medals.
This achievement was for a long time thought to be impossible.
Congratulations Eliud Kipchoge!
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