This archive report was first published on 8 October 2019.
On the eve of his historic attempt to break the two-hour marathon barrier, Eliud Kipchoge, the Kenyan Olympic world marathon record holder, traveled from Eldoret to Vienna in style. The private jet, valued at $24.5 million, was provided by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who chartered a Gulfstream G280 jet from his British base to fly Kipchoge to the Austrian capital.
Accompanied by his coach Patrick Sang and some of his pace setters, Kipchoge boarded the jet at 7:55 pm on Monday after it landed at the Eldoret International Airport at 6:45 pm. The British-registered jet offered a 5-star experience, treating Kipchoge to a luxurious journey.
As Kipchoge prepares to take on the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, he has been training in Kaptagat, Elgeyo-Marakwet County, and in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County. On Saturday, he will attempt to race his own time, previously running the 42-kilometre distance in two hours, one minute, and 39 seconds in Berlin.
41 pacemakers have been enlisted to support Kipchoge in his quest, including Erick Kiptanui, who expressed his readiness to help Eliud make world history yet again.
"I'm hoping for the best. I will try my best to get 1:59," Kipchoge said in a statement.
