This archive report was first published on 12 October 2019.
On October 12, 2019, Eliud Kipchoge made history by becoming the first person to run a marathon in under two hours, completing the 42 kilometer course in 1:59:40.
Manchester City, the English Premier League champions, joined millions of fans worldwide in congratulating Kipchoge on his remarkable achievement.
"Congratulations to Eliud Kipchoge. Sporting history made! Absolutely incredible," a tweet from Manchester City's official page read.
It was a nice touch from one champion to another, as Manchester City were themselves struggling to defend their Premier League title at the time.
Kipchoge's achievement was all the more impressive given that he had previously held the official marathon world record of 2:01:39, set in Berlin, Germany in 2018.
He had also attempted to break the record at the Italian Grand Prix circuit at Monza in 2017, but fell short by just 25 seconds.
During the INEOS 1:59 challenge, Kipchoge was assisted by a total of 42 pacemakers, including Olympic 1500m champion Matthew Centrowitz and Olympic 5,000m silver medallist Paul Chelimo.
