Eliud Kipchoge breaks two-hour marathon barrier to make sporting history – in 50 glorious photographs
The Kenyan ran a time of one hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds to become the first man to run a marathon in under two hours
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Eliud Kipchoge made history at the Ineos 1:59 challenge, becoming the first man to run a marathon in under two hours.
Kipchoge covered the 26.2 miles in 1:59:40, breaking his own record for the fastest marathon ever run.
While it does not count as an official world record due to the use of rotating pacemakers and a guide car, the Kenyan’s achievement is remarkable, averaging a pace of four and a half minutes per mile to breach the two hour barrier.
“I have tried to inspire many people, you can do it. It’s dedication, it was a hard run,” Kipchoge said after finishing.
Relive the Kenyan’s precedent setting run with our selection of 50 glorious pictures from Vienna.
Kipchoge previously fell 25 seconds shy of the mark in Italy in 2017, but with an improved, larger group of pacemakers supporting him, and crowds lining the Vienna circuit giving him an extra boost, he was able to improve his time by nearly half-a-minute to break a barrier that once seemed impenetrable.
Kipchoge also holds the official marathon record – a time of 2:01:39 set at the Berlin Marathon last year.
Among the spectators were the 34-year-old’s wife and three children, and Kipchoge gave his thanks to his family at the finish.
“It means a lot to Kenya, running under two hours, together we can make a beautiful world.
“They (my wife and kids) have given me so much support, I’m happy they came here to witness history.”
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