wired | On Saturday morning in Vienna, Austria, Eliud Kipchoge, the world's finest marathoner, became the first person in history to run 26.2 miles in under two hours.
His time of 1:59:40 required him to maintain an average pace of just
under 4:35 per mile. That is, to put it mildly, soul-searing speed. Even
a supremely fit person would struggle to run at so aggressive a clip
for more than five or six minutes in a row. On Saturday, Kipchoge held
it for just shy of 120.
But
Kipchoge's performance will not be recognized as an official world
record. The event was not an open competition; it was held for Kipchoge
and Kipchoge alone. What's more, a rotating cast of pacers shielded him
from wind throughout the run, and a bicycle-riding support team was on
hand at all times to deliver him water and fuel. It was not so much a
race, in other words, as an exhibition event designed for speed. A
one-man, all-or-nothing time trial.
