Eliud Kipchoge Is Now The First Person Ever To Run A Marathon In Under Two Hours

Oct 14, 2019

Eliud Kipchoge became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours. The Kenyan-born runner competed in the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, Austria.

Kipchoge finished the 26.2 miles (42.2km) distance in just 1 hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds (1:59:40) making history. He just made the history books, but unfortunately his accomplishment will not be counted as an official world record. 

Although Kipchoge is the first individual to ever have this time, the runner was aided with pacemakers and also given energy gels by his coaches on bicycles which are not allowed by the IAAF, the governing body for athletics.

Regardless, Kipchoge still holds the official world record for the fastest marathon that he achieved in Berlin where he ran a 2:01:39. 

Kipchoge told the BBC, "I'm feeling good. After Roger Bannister made history, it took me another 65 years. I've tried but I've done it. This shows the positivity of sport.” Roger Bannister was a British man who ran the first sub-4 minute mile in 1954.

“I want to make it a clean and interesting sport,” he said. “Together when we run, we can make it a beautiful world.”

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