This archive report was first published on 8 October 2019.
On October 7, 2019, a Gulfstream G280, valued at $24.5 million, landed at the Eldoret International Airport to pick up Eliud Kipchoge, the Olympic marathon champion and world record holder.
The jet, owned by British billionaire Sir Tom Ratcliffe, was sent to escort Kipchoge and his team to Vienna, where they would attempt to make history by running a marathon in under two hours.
According to a statement on the INEOS website, the decision to fly Kipchoge from his training camp in Kaptagat, Kenya to Vienna was the first stage of a pre-agreed decision process by the INEOS 1:59 Performance team.
The INEOS 1:59 Challenge, sponsored by Sir Tom Ratcliffe, owner of chemical firm INEOS, aims to have Kipchoge run the marathon in under two hours.
Although the date for the marathon has yet to be confirmed, the target date is October 12, 2019, if all goes as planned.
On October 9, 2019, the Performance team will decide if the date for the INEOS 1:59 Challenge will be confirmed as the 12th October or delayed.
