Primarily my blog is for sharing my long distance running experiences and to promote my charity races but with Eliud Kipchoge’s marathon challenge of the weekend I feel I must record the event and share my thoughts.
It might not have been an official marathon race and therefore not an official world record but what a run by Eliud Kipchoge to complete the marathon distance in under 2 hours for the first time in human history today, the 12th October 2019. This day in Vienna will go down in marathon history with his time of 1 hour 59 minutes 40 seconds. This is a land mark arguably as significant as when Roger Bannister broke the 4 minute mile for the first time some 65 years ago. Ok a lot of “Tech” has been used to do this, including some very revolutionary trainers but I don’t want to be too critical as this wasn’t an official record attempt nor a race and none of these technical advantages were hidden by the organisers. It was all about seeing if a man could be supported to run sub 2 hours and Eliud did it!
I remember Belayneh Dinsamo becoming the world record holder at Rotterdam on 17th April 1988 with 2:06:50, his record stood for 10 years until Ronaldo Da Costa eventually broke it in Berlin with 2:06:05. During that 10 year period I think people and athletes alike had started to believe the marathon record had reached its human limit. Since 1998 athletes have started to believe once again that it can be broken and steadily runners have regularly chipped away at this record until Eliud Kipchoge broke it in Berlin in 2018 with 2:01:39. He has strived to break the magical 2 hour for some years and today all his hard work made his dreams come true.
For me today has been a privileged to have witnessed a truly great moment in the history of distance running especially as a marathon runner it is so close to my heart.
Interesting how modern life is changing, only a few years ago this would have been something on the TV but I actually watched it all live from the BBC’s coverage over the internet. It was very interesting to see how a huge Nike team helped Eliud Kipchoge achieve this amazing goal. I watched an interview with his coach Patrick Sang after the run. I loved his words about Eliud, he said “He inspired us all that we can stretch our limits in our life and we can do more than we think we can do. For the sport it is challenging athletes that they can perform better than they can think. For humanity whatever level you are in, you can move to another level.”
I love Eliud Kipchoge’s attitude to running and his slogan “No human is limited”, how wonderfully positive.
Thank you Eliud Kipchoge from me and on behalf of everyone on the planet.
History has been made on this day.
I must also comment on another marathon record which was broken only 24 hours later and was over shadowed, these were the events in Chicago as Brigid Kosgei also created history, breaking the women’s marathon world record and taking it from Paula Radcliffe. Paula’s record of 2:15:25 was set at London and had stood since 2003. I used to admire Paula for her marathon running, not only for being able to take on the Africans at their specialist distance but to be able to beat them and be the world record holder for some 16 years. It was lovely to see a Brit do this and especially as she came from my local area. I can’t see the likes of her doing it again but I can hope.
I always get excited when someone chips away at the marathon world records, every time it is like the boundaries of human endurance running are being stretched. On this occasion I felt a little sadness to see Paula and her British record be broken. That said I must send my congratulations to Brigid Kosgei of Kenya for the fastest Ladies marathon run ever. I thought it was lovely for Paula to also be in Chicago and meet Brigid at such a poignant moment in ladies marathon record history.
Phenomenal achievements from Eliud and Brigid, a credit to the sport.
What a wonderful and unforgettable weekend of marathon running.
This has to be one of the greatest weekends in Marathon history!
I’m sure Eliud Kipchoge will inspire the current and next generation of marathon runners to keep chipping away at the marathon record, in the belief that a sub 2 hour world record is possible. I wonder if, or more likely when, it will happen and if it will be in my life time, I hope so. Maybe Eliud can manage it himself during a race, that would be wonderful to watch.
