This archive report was first published on 10 October 2019.
Eliud Kipchoge to Attempt 2-Hour Marathon in Vienna ¶
On Saturday, Kenya's greatest runner and world marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge will attempt to run 42 kilometers under two hours at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge marathon in Vienna, Austria.
Vienna was chosen as the venue for this historic challenge due to its favorable climate and the city's ability to provide a friendly environment for athletes. The city's stable weather conditions and inclined course make it an ideal location for this event.
The course is 90% straight, with a 4.3-kilometer straight lane that will be repeated four times and a 9.6-kilometer circuit. The race will take the athletes past some of Vienna's most impressive and modern historic sights, including the United Nations Office at Vienna and the Imperial Bridge over the River Danube.
As the athletes run, they will be entertained by the world-famous John Strauss' melody of the Danube Waltz. They will also pass by the Giant Ferris Wheel, a 65-meter-tall structure that was erected in 1897 to mark the 50th year of Emperor Franz Joseph's accession to the throne.
After the Ferris Wheel, the athletes will go through the green expanse of Prater Park, a spacious green forest referred to as the green lungs of Vienna due to its stunning air quality. The runners will then continue on Vienna's Ring Road, past the famous Opera House where world-famous opera singers perform.
The course will also take the athletes through Vienna's River Valley, where they will see vineyards, attractive red-roofed villages, and impressive castles. From the valley, the course heads to Schönbrunn Castle, the former imperial summer residence and one of Austria's major cultural sites and tourist attractions.
On the way back, runners can take in the greatest examples of Vienna's architecture along the Ring Road, from the numerous museums and the Town Hall and Vienna University. It is at the "Universitätsring" just opposite the magnificent Austrian National Theatre in Vienna, Burgtheater where Eliud Kipchoge is expected to finish his 42-kilometer race under two hours.
He will have outraced history.
