World record holder Eliud Kipchoge on Saturday completed the Ineos 1:59 challenge in 1:59:40.
Coincidentally, Kipchoge beat his official record of 2:1:39 by 1:59.
In just 14 minutes and 10 seconds, 5km were out of Eliud Kipchoge’s way.
At the same pace, he covered 5km more. Meaning at 28 minutes and 20 seconds, he had done 10km.
At 42 minutes and 34 seconds, Kipchoge had done 15km.
Kipchoge made sure he maintained the time difference by 14 minutes 12 seconds per every five kilometres.
Within 56 minutes and 47 seconds, he had covered 20km.
At 25km, he had taken 1 hour, 10 minutes and 59 seconds. The next five kilometres took him 14 minutes 52 seconds to clock 30km.
He maintained the pace and covered another 5km in 14 minutes 12 seconds, pushing him to 1 hour 39 minutes and 23 seconds.
With 14 minutes 13 seconds he covered the 40th kilometre, coming to 1 hour 53 minutes and 36 seconds.
And within 6 minutes he closed the race at 1 hour 59 minutes and 40 seconds, creating history by becoming the first athlete to finish a marathon in under two hours.
“I’m feeling good. I have tried to inspire many people, you can do it. It’s dedication, it was a hard run,” Kipchoge said soon after finishing the race.
Kipchoge ran the first ever marathon under two hours in the Austrian capital of Vienna, two years since he fell 25 seconds short.
He had previously pushed the mark close in a similar attempt at the Monza Formula One racetrack near Milan in 2017.
Whereas Kipchoge lost steam in Italy and fell 25 seconds short despite a final kick, here he was on track right from the outset, aided by an all-star team of pacemakers and a pacing car.
Kipchoge won a gold in Rio at the 2016 Olympic Games.