This archive report was first published on 9 October 2019.
Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge is set to make history in the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, a bid to become the first man to run 42km under two hours. To show their support, Safaricom unveiled a new Mpesa logo on Wednesday, October 9, 2019.
The new logo features the number 159, representing one hour 59 minutes, and is sandwiched by the words E and LIUD. According to Safaricom, the logo will be active for the next week.
On the same day, Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph announced that Kenyan fans will be able to live-stream the race on YouTube for free. To access the live stream, fans need to dial 159# and receive free 1590MB to enable them to watch the race.
Kipchoge, an Olympic champion, aims to break his own record set at the Berlin marathon last year, where he ran 2 hours, 1 minute, and 39 seconds. The INEOS 1:59 Challenge will take place in the streets of Vienna, Austria, on October 12, 2019, due to the city's favorable weather conditions.
This will be Kipchoge's second attempt to break the two-hour barrier, following his 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.
After leaving his training base in Eldoret town on Monday in a private jet provided by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Kipchoge is now in Vienna, ready to take on the challenge.
