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Eliud Kipchoge has become the first athlete to run a marathon in under two hours after completing the feat in Vienna on Saturday. The reigning Olympic champion beat the mark by 20 seconds, posting a time of one hour 59 minutes and 40 seconds in the Austrian capital, but the achievement will not be recognised as the official marathon world record because it was not set in open competition, while Kipchoge used a number of rotating pacemakers.
The 34-year-old had previously missed the mark by 25 seconds when he last attempted the feat in 2017 and believes it will now open the door for others to follow suit. “This shows no-one is limited,” Kipchoge told reporters. “Now I’ve done it, I am expecting more people to do it after me.”
The four-time London Marathon winner has also compared his achievement to that of the late Sir Roger Bannister, who made history by running the first sub four-minute mile in 1954. “I’m feeling good. After Roger Bannister made history, it took me another 65 years. I’ve tried but I’ve done it,” the Kenyan added. “This shows the positivity of sport. I want to make it a clean and interesting sport. Together when we run, we can make it a beautiful world.”
