Eliud Kipchoge Breaks the Two-Hour Marathon Barrier
The Kenyan runner, Eliud Kipchoge, the world record holder of the marathon, said he was very happy after breaking the legendary two-hour barrier in Vienna today with a time of 1:59:40, a mark that, however, will not be official due to the external assistance he received.
"I feel good. I am the happiest man in the world after being the first to run (the marathon) in under two hours," said the African athlete after overcoming one of the most challenging challenges in the history of sports.
"I hope that more people around the world will run under two hours after today," he added.
The fastest marathon runner in history shattered the record by running the 42.195 meters at a pace more typical of a sprint, with an average of 17 seconds per 100 meters, 2 minutes 50 seconds per kilometer.
The runner showed great emotion and thanked his team and the people who cheered him on during the race: "We have made history together."
"The pacers did a great job, they are among the best runners of all time," he praised his team of 41 top-level athletes who supported him in the race.
Kipchoge reiterated that breaking the two-hour barrier sends the message that the human being has no limits and hopes that this milestone will be an inspiration and a source of hope for everyone in the world.
The athlete acknowledged that it was a "tough race" and emphasized that with this historic mark, he wants to convey the idea that "together we can make this world better."
Kipchoge completed the final meters alone and crossed the finish line with a smile, after blasting through one of the legendary barriers of athletics with ease.
The record marathon runner (2:01:39) has been the sole protagonist of a race tailor-made for him, "Ineos 1.59," in which he has received external assistance not allowed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), and therefore, his mark will not be approved.
Kipchoge, who kept consistent times throughout, ran behind a vehicle that set the pace for him to break the two-hour barrier, surrounded by seven pacemakers in an arrow formation to protect him from the wind.
These seven runners were part of a team of 41 top-level athletes who took turns supporting him throughout the race.
The pacemakers included a selection of top-ranked athletes, such as the three Norwegian brothers Ingebrigtsen, Henrik, Filip, and Jakob, the Ethiopian Selemon Barega, recent world runner-up in the 5,000 meters, and the Americans Bernard Lagat and Paul Chelimo.
Kipchoge also had a moving refreshment station and a completely flat and adapted circuit, including freshly paved parts to avoid irregularities.
Thousands of people woke up early to cheer on the athlete in a race that took place in Vienna's Prater Park, on a completely flat 9.6-kilometer circuit, most of which was straight and sheltered by trees.
There were 4.3 kilometers out and the same distance back. There are two large roundabouts at both ends that have been modified to avoid any incline.
Although it is a laboratory marathon, in which everything was calculated down to the smallest detail to break the record, running at such a brutal pace and shattering the two-hour barrier allows Kipchoge to enter the realm of the sporting deities. EFE