

Eliud Kipchoge has made history by becoming the first person to run a marathon distance in under two hours.
The 34-year-old Kenyan long-distance runner completed 26.2 miles in 1 hour 59 minutes 40 seconds at the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, Austria.
HISTORY! pic.twitter.com/qjLfofhL5s
— Eliud Kipchoge (@EliudKipchoge) October 12, 2019
To beat the two-hour target and run the fastest marathon distance, he had to travel at an average speed of 21.1 k/mh (13.1 mph), covering 100 m every 17.08 seconds.
The split times for the fastest marathon ever. 🔥#INEOS159#NoHumanIsLimitedpic.twitter.com/BbVqhgbaDQ
— INEOS 1:59 Challenge (@INEOS159) October 12, 2019
Using a rotating team of pacemakers he sprinted over the finish line to beat the clock by 20 seconds in front of cheering crowds.
Today we went to the Moon and came back to earth! I am at a loss for words for all the support I have received from all over the world.
— Eliud Kipchoge (@EliudKipchoge) October 12, 2019
Thank you to all who gave me the opportunity. Asante. pic.twitter.com/0HTVBjB6YY
"This shows no-one is limited," he said to the BBC afterwards.
"Now I've done it, I'm expecting more people to do it after me."
"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."
Eliud Kipchoge went through the marathon finish line in just one hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds.
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) October 12, 2019
His wife had never seen him race in person before, she has now! ❤
Full story ➡ https://t.co/4hwBxk8CkE#bbcathletics#Eliud159pic.twitter.com/PWBwgTibjY
His run won't count as an official International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) marathon record as it was not completed in open competition.
Kipchoge does hold the official fastest marathon record having run 2:01:39 at the 2018 Berlin Marathon.
Nevertheless, his time is a landmark achievement which he compared to Roger Bannister becoming the first person to run a four-minute mile.
The day after Kipchoge's run, fellow Kenyan runner, Brigid Kosgei, smashed the official fastest marathon (female) record by completing the Chicago Marathon in 2:14:04, beating the previous record by 81 seconds.
Decreasing marathon times
The official marathon records have regularly been broken over the past 20 years. This is how the men's record has changed since 1998:
Meanwhile the fastest marathon (female) record has been shared between three athletes over the same period: