Kipchoge to make new sub-two hour marathon attempt this year
LONDON (Reuters) - Kenyan world record holder Eliud Kipchoge is to make another attempt at breaking two hours for the marathon later this year, probably in Britain, in a project backed by Jim Ratcliffe, the billionaire owner of chemical firm INEOS.
Kipchoge ran two hours and 25 seconds in his “Breaking Two” project on Italy’s Monza motor racing circuit in 2017, though the time was not ratified for record purposes as he used “in and out” pacemakers and a moving drinks station.
Last year he lowered the legal world record by an astonishing 78 seconds when posting 2:01.39 in Berlin and last week ran the second-fastest time in history when winning the London marathon in 2:02.37.
With an Olympic marathon gold and an amazing record of 11 wins from 12 races over the 26.2 mile distance, breaking two hours would appear to be the only thing missing from the CV of a man ranked among the greatest his sport has seen.
“This would really surpass everything because this will go in the history as far as the human family is concerned,” Kipchoge said when announcing the bid at the Iffley Road running track in Oxford where Briton Roger Bannister became the first man to break four minutes for the mile 65 years ago on Monday.
“It is not about recognition or ratification but to make history and to pass on a message that no human is limited. Running the fastest-ever marathon of 2:00.25 was the proudest moment of my career.”
There are still many details to be ironed out for the new attempt, labelled “The 1.59 Challenge” though it is likely to be in September or October on a two or three-km circuit course, probably in Britain and possibly in one of London’s Royal parks.
It will again be un-ratified as the Kenyan will use a phalanx of pacemakers who run a number of laps, dipping in and out so that they can maintain the phenomenal two minute, 50 seconds per km pace necessary.
Although Nike is not spearheading the attempt as it did in Monza, Kipchoge, 34, will again wear their somewhat controversial carbon-insoled Vaporfly shoes that Nike says improve running economy by up to four percent.