2:00:25, So Close and Yet So Far
Eliud Kipchoge ran the Nike Breaking2 Marathon in two hours and 25 seconds. He made record time but failed to reach Nike’s ambitious goal - breaking the two-hour marathon mark. Kipchoge clocked 59:55 at the midpoint of the marathon and held a great pace for much of the distance, only falling slightly off pace towards the end, from the 38km mark. His time is not officially recognized by the IAAF due to the controlled conditions and the use of alternating pace runners.
Eliud Kipchoge ran the Nike Breaking2 Marathon in two hours and 25 seconds. He made record time but failed to reach Nike’s ambitious goal - breaking the two-hour marathon mark. Kipchoge clocked 59:55 at the midpoint of the marathon and held a great pace for much of the distance, only falling slightly off pace towards the end, from the 38km mark. His time is not officially recognized by the IAAF due to the controlled conditions and the use of alternating pace runners.
The Perfect Setting
Selecting a venue and controlling running conditions were essential in creating the ideal environment for runners to attack the two-hour mark. The Nike team, which included physiologists and scientists, chose the famous Monza racetrack in Italy as the venue for the event and decided on 5:45 am as the best time of day to kick off the marathon, due to the comfortable weather and humidity conditions.
Pace runners ran at the front of the pack, often in an arrow formation for optimal aerodynamics. This allowed the leading runners to benefit from the least wind resistance. A pace car drove directly in front of the athletes projecting the time and distance onto a screen and most importantly, projecting a green line that served as the pace line onto the ground.
The Runners
The three runners chosen for this challenge were Kipchoge, Lelisa Desisa, and Zersenay Tadese. They were accompanied by six additional pace runners. All participants were given an equal chance of meeting and beating the two-hour record, however, Kipchoge was the favored runner to break the mark. The 16 km point, turned out to be the breaking point for Desisa. He could no longer keep the pace and at the 20 km mark, he dropped back once again. Tadese also drifted back during the race but nonetheless went on to record an incredibly fast time, reaching a personal best of 2:06:51.
Kipchoge is the 2016 Olympic marathon champion. He held pace until the 25 km point and at the 30 km mark he was only one second behind the required pace. After the race, he stated that he started to really feel the challenge at 38 km. Ultimately, he finished 25 seconds shy of the two-hour mark, and 26 seconds after his personal goal, but he has brought us closer than we have ever been to breaking through this barrier, and he is already planning his next attempt.
For previous posts
Selecting a venue and controlling running conditions were essential in creating the ideal environment for runners to attack the two-hour mark. The Nike team, which included physiologists and scientists, chose the famous Monza racetrack in Italy as the venue for the event and decided on 5:45 am as the best time of day to kick off the marathon, due to the comfortable weather and humidity conditions.
Pace runners ran at the front of the pack, often in an arrow formation for optimal aerodynamics. This allowed the leading runners to benefit from the least wind resistance. A pace car drove directly in front of the athletes projecting the time and distance onto a screen and most importantly, projecting a green line that served as the pace line onto the ground.
The Runners
The three runners chosen for this challenge were Kipchoge, Lelisa Desisa, and Zersenay Tadese. They were accompanied by six additional pace runners. All participants were given an equal chance of meeting and beating the two-hour record, however, Kipchoge was the favored runner to break the mark. The 16 km point, turned out to be the breaking point for Desisa. He could no longer keep the pace and at the 20 km mark, he dropped back once again. Tadese also drifted back during the race but nonetheless went on to record an incredibly fast time, reaching a personal best of 2:06:51.
Kipchoge is the 2016 Olympic marathon champion. He held pace until the 25 km point and at the 30 km mark he was only one second behind the required pace. After the race, he stated that he started to really feel the challenge at 38 km. Ultimately, he finished 25 seconds shy of the two-hour mark, and 26 seconds after his personal goal, but he has brought us closer than we have ever been to breaking through this barrier, and he is already planning his next attempt.
For previous posts
