Eliud Kipchoge breaks two-hour marathon barrier in historic Ineos 1:59 challenge

[Recursion]

Source: The Indepdendent

Eliud Kipchoge has broken the two-hour marathon barrier at the Ineos 1:59 challenge in Vienna.

The Kenyan ran 1:59:40 to complete the 26.2 mile distance in the fastest time in history.

Utilising a rotating group of pacemakers, thus making the time not an official world record, and wearing the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly shoe, Kipchoge became the first athlete to run the distance in under two hours.

“I’m feeling good, after Roger Bannister, it took 63 years, I have tried to inspire many people, you can do it. It’s dedication, it was a hard run,” he said immediately after making history.

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/athletics/eliud-kipchoge-two-hour-marathon-record-result-ineos-challenge-time-a9152991.html

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[joshdawg]

1. Running downhill, with a 40mph wind behind me,

I might, just might, be able to run at 13mph for, say, one or two seconds. Certainly not for 2 hours.
My hat is off to Kipchoge!

[Recursion]

2. And this was Vienna, not Amsterdam or Berlin

Not at sea level, and including some uphill stretches. This guy is amazing.

[OnlinePoker]

6. I have a hard time maintaining a 15 mph bicycle speed

Running near that for 2 hours is amazing.

[argyl]

3. He runs one mile at 4:36 minutes.

And then runs 25.2 more at the same pace.
That is just amazing.

[sir pball]

11. 4:34, please.

That extra 2 seconds is incredibly difficult at that level.

And he actually came in about a third of a second faster - target time was 1:59:50, he ran 1:59:40.

Superhuman.

[SLClarke]

4. Watching Bannister

I remember watching Bannister, on TV (then a little black and white screen), run the 4-minute mile. It was amazing - spine chilling - transfixing. His run also was not a race, but set up, so the fact that this was too, is, I think, irrelevant. After that, within 9 months (?), someone (I think from Australia) broke that record. And now this guy runs an under-2-hour marathon! Wow!
Congratulations to him and everyone who participated in this awe-inspiring event. Indeed, a run for the history books.

[keithbvadu2]

5. Paul Ryan could have beaten him.

Paul Ryan could have beaten him.

A wee bit of sarcasm...

https://www.businessinsider.com/paul-ryan-admitted-to-lying-about-marathon-2012-9

[Bayard]

7. I guess it was bound to happen one day....

But simply amazing.

Back in the late 80's-90's on the Louisville running scene, if somebody hit a 4:30 mile in local competition on the track, it was a big deal. I can't imagine stringing that together for 26 miles.

When Kenyans started winning all the distance races ("those damn Kenyans," was heard a lot), all of the elite U.S. runners started training at altitude too.

Congratulations, Mr. Kipchoge!

[pangaia]

8. I don't think many people appreciate

how fast it truly is..running about 4:36 minute miles for 2 hours !!!

And not just to praise only Kipchoge, but if you think about it, for example , I watched Alberto Salazar win in Boston in 1982 2:08:52 ! Even that is something like 4:54 minute miles, if i figured it right.. anyway under 5 minute miles !!

BRAVO KIP !!!

BTW- I once ran past Greg Meyer ( Winner in Boston in 1983). I was out for a jog with my girlfriend in Boston, along the Charles River. We went right by him. Of course he was going in the opposite direction !!


But, I tell you, it was something to behold. Everybody else is bobbing up and down to one degree or another.. I looked way ahead and there was this one guy who WASN'T bobbing at all. As we got closer I realized he was going a hell of a lot faster than everybody else, also. I though I recognized him. COULDN'T BE, could it? Yup.. He went buy in the blink of an eye, absolutely silently, no breathing, no flap, flap on the pavement, no nothin'. !!! This perfect, well-oiled machine

[keithbvadu2]

9. "once ran past" - Good one!

[sir pball]

10. To be clear, this isn't a world record

He had a wind-blocking pace car, and a small army of pace runners, and got his feeding handed to him instead of having to grab it off a table. Breaks pretty much all the rules of competition for a "fair"WR. Then again, the Boston Marathon isn't WR eligible either, because it's overall too far downhill. So, while it's not TEH REKORD, it's still an absolutely stunning achievement. I mean, I ride my bicycle pretty damn fast and this guy ran about a mile an hour faster than I commute, down a restricted bike path where I can really get up some steam.

Also he does hold the "real" record, at Berlin last year - 2:01.39. Still ludicrously, nay, plaid, fast - but those last 99 seconds may be unbeatable in regulated competition, IMO.