This archive report was first published on 8 October 2019.
On October 8, 2019, Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge departed for Vienna, Austria, to attempt a historic feat: running 42km (26 miles) under two hours.
The challenge, dubbed the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, is sponsored by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who provided a private jet for Kipchoge's journey from his training base in Eldoret town.
Kipchoge, the greatest marathoner of all-time, aims to break his own record of two hours, one minute, and 39 seconds, set at the Berlin marathon last year.
His target is to complete the marathon under two hours in the streets of Vienna, with a tentative date set for Saturday, October 12th, pending favorable weather conditions.
Vienna was chosen as the venue due to its favorable weather conditions in October, providing an ideal environment for Kipchoge's attempt.
This will be Kipchoge's second attempt to break the two-hour barrier, following a close attempt in Nike's Breaking2 project at the Monza Formula 1 track in Italy in May 2017, where he missed the target by 26 seconds.
“All Kenyans will be crossing fingers during the race as I try to show to the world that everything is possible with human beings. I am ready for the challenge,” Kipchoge said at Eldoret Airport before leaving for Vienna.
