Eliud Kipchoge Becomes the First Human to Run a Marathon in Under Two Hours
Honoring their repeated slogan "no human has limits," Kenyan long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge became the first human being to run 42 kilometers in under two hours this Saturday, an unimaginable feat celebrated in the streets by tens of thousands of Kenyans.
"(Kipchoge has surpassed) a barrier that was so far from the collective imagination that until a few years ago it wasn't even considered," said Marc Roig, physiotherapist of the NN Running team, with which Kipchoge trains in northern Kenya, from the city of Eldoret.
In this city, located just 25 kilometers from the training camp of Kaptagat, thousands of Kenyans gathered outdoors in front of a giant screen to accompany their idolized hero, who set his new record at 1h:59:40.
In 2017, on the Monza racetrack in Italy, Kipchoge was just 25 seconds away from achieving this milestone, not recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) as a new world record, unlike today's mark, due to the external assistance he received during the race.
"All Kenyans are very excited about Eliud achieving what no other human has done before," said Grace Sugutt, Kipchoge's wife, to Kenyan media CitizenTV, following one of his races live from Vienna for the first time and becoming the first person that the current marathon world record holder (2h01:39) embraced as soon as he crossed the finish line.
Far from Europe, in the heart of Nairobi, hundreds of people, especially from the Kalenjin tribe to which Kipchoge belongs along with some of the best athletes in the world, cheered in victory and danced with joy shortly after witnessing his achievement on broadcast.
"People are crying," an anonymous Kenyan detailed through his Twitter account. "Thank you Eliud Kipchoge for putting Kenya as a place of hope where dreams come true. History has been made."
Light, smiling, and at a pace more typical of a sprint; with an average of 17 seconds per every 100 meters, and 2 minutes 50 seconds per kilometer, Kipchoge crossed the finish line in Vienna this morning, distancing himself from the 'pacemakers' a group of 7 intermittent runners who had set his pace.
"Everything adds up a little, but in the end it is he, Kipchoge, who has to respond. The 'pacemakers' help to block the wind and set the pace, but in the end, only he completes the total distance," specified Roig to Efe about the logistics behind this custom-designed race.
Kipchoge ran steadily behind a vehicle that with laser light indicated where the 'pacemakers' should be - a selection of top-ranked athletes, such as the three Norwegian brothers Ingebrigtsen or the Ethiopian Selemon Barega - in addition to having supplies and a completely flat circuit.
"His main goal was to demonstrate that it was more of a mental barrier than a physical one and that he was capable of surpassing it," summarized the physiotherapist, who lives day by day with the runner in the Kaptagat camp.
Meanwhile, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta joined the general excitement, recognizing that history had been made and adding that his country is "proud" of his achievement.
"Your victory today will inspire dozens of future generations to dream big and aspire to greatness," Kenyatta tweeted.
An unthinkable milestone for many, however, achieved by someone who, despite being 34 years old and well aware of the frailty of the human body, never doubted the strength of his mind or the truth of his mantra.
"I put my head and my heart into running the marathon in under two hours in order to make history and send the message to the world that no human has limits," said an ecstatic Kipchoge on Saturday. EFE