Summary

  • Eliud Kipchoge becomes first athlete to run a marathon in under two hours

  • Kenyan, 34, finishes in one hour 59 minutes and 40.2 seconds

  • Olympic marathon champion ran the 1:59 Ineos Challenge in Vienna

  • Is not a world record because it is not an open competition

  • Kipchoge holds the official marathon world record of 2:01:39

  1. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 07:42 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    #bbcsport

    Jasdeep Mudhar: Eliud Kipchoge’s attempt at breaking the 2 hour mark should be recognised as a world record. He deserves it. All that hard work.

    Andy France: Got to be a world record, he's not using technology to enhance his performance, like a motor in a bicycle, just to show where he needs to be in terms of pace. Clever use of the man in front to get in his slip stream. Will be a superhuman effort, needs to be acknowledged.

  2. Postpublished at 07:40 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    Another smooth changeover for the pacemaker team.

    This leg includes Norway's three Ingebrigtsen brothers - Henrik, Jakob and Filip - who have just been competing at the World Athletics Championships in Doha.

  3. The breakdownpublished at 07:37 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

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  4. Blame it on the weatherman...published at 07:35 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    Why now? Why Vienna? Why this time in the morning?

    It's all to do with the weather...

    "The current conditions are looking to be optimal for temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation for this Saturday morning," said Robby Ketchell, who leads the weather analysis for the organisers.

    Ketchell said the temperature are expected to be between five and nine degrees Celsius between 05:00 and 08:00 local time.

    "After 08:00 the temperature is looking like it will rise slightly, and humidity will drop slightly.

    "For the Challenge we need a 24-hour window of no rain to keep all the surfaces dry and that is currently looking to be the case for Saturday too."

  5. 'The last great barrier in athletics'published at 07:32 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the man funding the challenge, is up bright and early in Vienna to witness the attempt, but how did the idea come about?

    "We were on a motorbike trip in South America having a beer and it popped out of conversation," he said.

    "I have met quite a few of the pacers and they're buzzing for the whole challenge, but normally they're running for themselves - it's almost a different sport for them to come together and work for a common cause.

    "It's the last great barrier in athletics - it's unthinkable, it's super-human to be able to run at that speed for 42km."

  6. Postpublished at 07:30 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    The first big landmark in this run - the 5km mark.

    Eliud Kipchoge is looking good and currently nine seconds under the target time - this pace would bring the Kenyan home in 1:59:50.

    Got time to stop for a cheeky cuppa.

  7. Postpublished at 07:28 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    We've had our first change in the pacemaker team - very smooth indeed.

    There are 41 support runners - chosen from the best athletes in the world - in total helping Eliud Kichoge today.

    KipchogeImage source, BBC Sport
  8. Postpublished at 07:25 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    Good to see all the tech is working so far. My favourite are the green lasers being beamed from the support car to keep the pacemakers on track.

    So far, so good.

  9. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 07:23 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    #bbcsport

    Right, we want to know what you think about the 1:59 marathon attempt.

    Should it stand as a world record if Eliud Kipchoge can break the two-hour barrier? Is it an experiment or sporting achievement? What're your thoughts on the feat?

    Let us know using #bbcsport

  10. 'Like landing on the moon'published at 07:20 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    One small step (or several hundred thousand...) for Eliud Kipchoge, one giant leap for mankind...

    "This is about history," said Kipchoge about the challenge. "It's about leaving a legacy. It's about inspiring people.

    "My main message to the 7.5 billion people in the world is that no human is limited.

    "Breaking the two-hour marathon barrier would be like man landing on the moon."

  11. Postpublished at 07:17 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    Everything has been planned down to the last detail here - even the pacemakers' formation. They're playing a 2-2-1-1-2 today... or a "Reverse V".

    pacemakersImage source, BBC Sport
  12. Go, go, go...published at 07:15 British Summer Time 12 October 2019
    Breaking

    There's the gun!

    No false start, Eliud Kipchoge and his gang of pacemakers are off...

  13. Postpublished at 07:14 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    We're moments away, the first set of pacers have taken their place on the start line donned in black vests and they're joined by the great man, who's sporting a white top.

    How're your nerves, Eliud?

  14. Postpublished at 07:13 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    Media caption,

    How to run a marathon in less than 2 hours?

  15. Coe backs Kipchoge attemptpublished at 07:08 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    CoeImage source, Reuters

    Despite not being recorded as an official world record, IAAF president Sebastian Coe says the milestone would still be important.

    "If there's an exciting attempt for getting under two hours for the marathon I'm not sure that most people are going to be sitting there going, ‘Well, it wasn't sanctioned as a world record because it wasn't in open competition,’, said Coe.

    "I just don’t think it matters. It’s just a big milestone being met and our sport has space for all sorts of things and I think it will appeal and add value.”

  16. No world record for Kipchogepublished at 07:05 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    This will not be recognised as a world-record attempt.

    The sport's governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations, will not ratify the run as an official record because it is not in open competition and it uses in and out pacemakers.

    Kipchoge missed out on breaking the two-hour mark by 26 seconds in Monza in May 2017, when he also received drinks from a moving motorbike rather than having to collect them from a table.

  17. The challenge...published at 07:02 British Summer Time 12 October 2019

    Eliud Kipchoge is the marathon world-record holder and considered one of the greatest distance runners of all time, but this morning the Kenyan will look to do something no human has ever done before... complete the 26.2-mile distance in under two hours.

    His bid to break the two-hour mark takes place in Vienna, where everything from the course to the conditions to the 41 pacemakers have been picked to give the 34-year-old the best chance possible of achieving such a feat.

  18. Postpublished at 07:00

    KipchogeImage source, PA Media

    The perfect course, the perfect conditions... the perfect athlete?