Oct 12, 2019

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge breaks 2-hour marathon record

Axios

Eliud Kipchoge on Oct. 12. Photo: Ronald Zak/AP

Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya smashed the two-hour barrier for a marathon on Saturday, but won't break the world record — which he holds — because it wasn't an open event.

By the numbers: Kipchoge, 34, clocked 1 hour, 59 minutes and 40.2 seconds at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, an event set up for the feat. Kipchoge holds the official world record of 2:01:39.

  • In near-perfect circumstances, he shaved almost 2 minutes off that time, per AP.

Between the lines: Runners were helped by a pace car with a laser beam, projecting the ideal position on the road, and they received drinks handed over by cyclists and other runners to keep them from slowing down.

Eliud Kipchoge is in white jersey. Photo: Alex Halada/AFP via Getty Images
Kenyans on Oct. 12 celebrate Kipchoge's victory. Photo: Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Images
Kipchoge nears the finish. Photo: Alex Halada/AFP/Getty Images
Kipchoge's mother watches the race with relatives in the village of Kapsisisywa. Photo: Brian Ongoro/AFP via Getty Images
Kenyans watch the race on TV in Nairobi. Photo: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images

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