Kipchoge Redefines Limits Of Human Capability: Get To Know the Human Immortal
Eliud Kipchoge is a Kenyan marathon runner who has just achieved sporting greatness by becoming the first person to run a marathon in under two hours.
No human has every run under two hours to complete a marathon, the iconic distance of 26 miles 385 yards. The “sub-two” was one of sport’s great unconquered frontiers.
Eliud Kipchoge’s 1:59:40 marathon definitely redefined the limits of sporting and human capability or endeavour by breaking one of the most famous barriers in sport. Kipchoge ran 26.2 miles in 1:59:40 at the Ineos Challenge in Vienna, Austria on Saturday.
Although the time is recognised, the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) has said it will not consider the run as an an official record because the race was not run in open competition. he kept a very consistent pace of between 2.48 and 2.52 seconds per kilometre.
He holds the World Marathon Record in 2:01:39, a greatest improvement in marathon world record time since 1967, achieved after running in the 2018 Berlin Marathon.
His name now forever etched in history will be spoken of in the same breadth as the great Roger Bannister who broke the 4-minute mile and Neil Armstrong who became the first man to walk on the moon. Kipchoge ranked the two-hour marathon as “like man landing on the moon”. To that illustrious list of human achievements we can now add ‘the sub-two marathon’.
Eluid Kipchoge was born on 5 November 1984 in Kapsisiywa, Nandi District of Kenya.
Kipchoge was raised by a single mother (a teacher), and only knew his father from pictures. He is the youngest of four children.
Kipchoge lives with his wife and three children in Eldoret, Kenya.
He used to run two miles to get to school every day at Kaptel Secondary School.
Kipchoge won the Gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016 in the marathon.
Earlier in his career he focused on the 5000m and won a Bronze medal at Athens 2004 and a Silver medal at Beijing 2008.
At the age of 18, he became the senior 5000 m world champion at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics with a championships record, then followed with an Olympic bronze for Kenya in 2004 and a bronze at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
On his marathon debut, he won the 2013 Hamburg Marathon in a course record time.
His first victory at a World Marathon Major came at the Chicago Marathon in 2014, and he went on to become series champion for 2016, 2017, and 2018.
He has won the London Marathon four out of the last five times and is the course record holder.
Kipchoge previously attempted the sub-two-hour marathon in 2017 at the Monza grand prix circuit in Italy, as part of Nike’s Breaking2 project, but failed by just 25 seconds.
His achievements on Saturday is a huge barrier broken, a dream that has become a reality as he has been fixated on the sub-two barrier for years not forgetting how close he came on his first attempt, in May 2017 in Monza, when he ran 2:00:25.
Immediately after crossing the finish-line after becoming the first person in history to run a marathon under two hours, Eliud gave us his thoughts.
“I am feeling good, after Roger Bannister it took another 65 years to make history. Now I’ve gone under two hours to inspire other people and show the world that nobody is limited.” said Kipchoge.
By Gerald Dandah
