What An Achievement Congratulations To Him

[johnny.5]

Eliud Kipchoge breaks two-hour marathon mark by 20 seconds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/50025543

[ummmm]

I did think that until I heard how manufactured it was. It's not even official. His drinks, footwear, pacemakers and even the fact they shaved corners....it would have been a surprise if he hadn't beaten it.

[TonyV]

yes was hard but with plenty of pacemakers

[johnny.5]

it is still a remarkable feat on remarkable feet I doubt if I could finish a marathon in 22 hours let alone 2 even if it was all down hill

[TonyV]

Dont think it will stand as a record.

[TonyV]

Johnny.5 you could if you put the training in, but not sub 2 hours though.

[ummmm]

It won't as it's not official.

Everything was hand selected for perfection.

Not to take away from his achievement though, I could barely run to the shop and I could walk it in less than a minute :-)

[THECORBYLOON]

"With a leading pace car beaming green lasers on to the road to indicate the required pace of 2:50 per kilometre,"

"Kipchoge was assisted by a team of 42 pacemakers"

"His coaches delivered him water and energy gels by bike over 4.4 laps of a 5.97-mile course in the city's Prater park, instead of having to pick refreshments up from a table as in normal competition marathons.

These aids are not allowed under the rules of the IAAF, athletics' world governing body, which is why it will not recognise this feat as the official marathon world record."

One of the commentators likened it to breaking the four-minute mile, climbing everest and landing on the moon. I think he was exaggerating a wee bit.

[albaqwerty]

Pushing the human body to even more levels of endurance is a huge achievement.

Lovely to see him sharing his glory with all involved.

Shame about the insipid bbc interviewer at the end of the race.

[TonyV]

I do not ummmm but as you say manufactured.

[Tilly2]

I'm not bothered how manufactured it was. It was still a remarkable achievement. Good for him.

[ToraToraTora]

Yes an amazing achievement, it's invalid really but it does demonstrate that it is physically possible, bit like Bannister's mile. Shortly after that 4 min miles were done by several athletes of the day. No doubt a genuine 2 hour time will be achieved pretty soon.

[bhg481]

Tilly - absolutely. It's interesting to see his behaviour at the finish compared to Roger Bannister with the first 4-minute mile. I half expected him doing another lap just for fun. Now that this mental barrier has been overcome I wonder how long it will be before it happens in a proper race.

[Sqad]

Well done Kipchoge....sensational. Paced? so what? Not an official race..so what?
Bannister in 1954 ran the first sub four minute mile and he was paced in a non official race and it was taken as a world record.

Sensational.

[agchristie]

He needs to be told its not a sprint it's a marathon or is it cos he is part of a different race? ;-)

[Hopkirk]

I hope he was clean.

[pixie374]

I expect he ha a shower after x

[Pete65]

Great run by Kipchoge!
And he looked reasonably fresh at the finish, too!

[jno]

agree with Sqad. If anyone thinks it's not a remarkable feat, let them try it, with all the pacemakers and lasers and shoes they want. What he's shown is that it's possible to run a marathon in under 2 minutes.

[agchristie]

Fast forward....

"And here he is crossing the line in a remarkable time of 17 minutes"....

(commentary provided by 142 year old Brendan Foster)

[johnny.5]

it will stand as a record maybe not an official record buy still a record