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Kenya’s marathon great Eliud Kipchoge has reflected on his groundbreaking sub-two-hour marathon, sharing key moments from the race.
Five years ago, Eliud Kipchoge etched his name into sporting history by becoming the first person to break the two-hour marathon barrier.
At the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, the Kenyan long-distance legend ran 26.2 miles in an astonishing time of 1:59:40, a feat many had thought impossible.
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Though not an official world record due to the use of pacemakers and specialized shoes, it remains one of the most remarkable achievements in athletics.
Looking back five years after his historic run, Kipchoge reflects on the moments that defined the day watched by millions around the globe.
Kipchoge had previously come close to the mark in 2017 at the Monza Formula One racetrack in Italy, where he ran 2:00:25.
That near miss fueled his desire to push harder, and this time around, he left nothing to chance.
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The Vienna event was perfectly engineered, with a rotating group of pacemakers and a pacing car, all designed to help Kipchoge maintain a consistent pace well below the two-hour threshold.
"It was hard actually in training, especially with a man, knowing that I'm going to try to do something more, but nobody has done it," Kipchoge recalled in an interview with INEOS
"But all in all I consumed the whole that required positive life and move on to training, trying to do training every day, not missing even one."
Despite his thorough preparation, the final hours before the race were tense. Kipchoge shared how restless he felt the night before the big day.
"On the warm-up day actually, it was a difficult day because it was going very fast. I tried to jump into the bed on a cold room, just relax and sleep. And no sleep, but I feel like I'm tired," he said.
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With sleeplessness lingering, Kipchoge took a morning jog to settle his mind. As he reflected on the pressure of the attempt, doubts crept in.
"The mind was thinking about what will happen on the 5K, 10K. Will I drop? What will the world actually see? Will the world say actually, breaking through us will be more harder if I drop?"
But as the race started, the tension melted away.
"I had a lot of tension actually in the starting line. And you know, with the commentator announcing, the press makers announcing my name," Kipchoge remembered.
"Well, this could be the most famous Saturday run the world has ever seen. And you know the can went off and that's where the tension actually got away."
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By the halfway point, Kipchoge was confident.
"At the halfway I was really happy. I had a lot of energy. At the fight at the 5-o-clock I was sure enough that I would make it," he recalled.
As he approached 35 kilometers, he knew victory was within his grasp.
When he crossed the finish line, the magnitude of his accomplishment set in.
"At the finishing line actually it was a wonderful day that I crossed the finishing line knowing that I have made history which nobody has done," Kipchoge said with pride.
His family, team, and sponsors were waiting just meters away, ready to embrace him in celebration.
"Few meters from the finishing line was actually my family, the whole team of management, the sponsor, the team at Cliff for Minions, and everybody was there to really hug and say congratulations," he said.
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Kipchoge’s achievement in Vienna was the culmination of years of dedication, training, and mental fortitude.
Five years later, his memories of that day are as vivid as ever, a testament to a performance that will inspire future generations of runners for decades to come.
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