This archive report was first published on 10 June 2020.
On April 19, 2018, the world witnessed a unique event as over 100,000 runners from at least 100 countries participated in the MA RA TH ON Worldwide Team Relay, a virtual team marathon that aimed to recreate the excitement and camaraderie of a real marathon.
World marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge topped the billing as runners from around the globe ran 10.5km each, combining for a staggering 842.658 kilometers. The event was organized by NN Running Team, an international team of elite long-distance runners managed by a company in the Netherlands.
Kipchoge, who ran 10.5km in 31:28 seconds, teamed up with amateur runners from Brazil, while Ethiopian athlete Kenenisa Bekele ran with a team from the Netherlands on his own track in Sululta, 25 minutes outside the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
Bekele, a 5,000m and 10,000m World record-holder, built a six-lane all-weather track, which he calls his 'field of dreams'. He posted on social media, 'It was a great pleasure to run my 10.5k as part of the MA RA TH ON challenge on my own track in Sululta.'
The event also received support from the broader sporting community, with Tottenham Hotspur FC cheering on Kipchoge and their fans on the challenge, while ultra-running legend Killian Jornet set out to complete the 10.5km for his part of the challenge.
