Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge in Vienna-Austria ahead of the INEOS 1:59 challenge

To quote Eliud Kipchoge , “There exist no barriers” – #Nohumanislimited 

“I think certainly in terms of what your aspirations are, what your goals are, there really shouldn’t be any limits” – Eliud Kipchoge .

Sir Ben Ainslie – Great Britain

Eliud Kipchoge’s goal to prove that no human is limited

Eliud Kipchoge, the current world marathon record holder has landed in Vienna, Austria ahead of the 1:59 INEOS challenge, bankrolled by British multi-billionaire Jim Ratcliffe. The Olympic champion who not only aims to beat his current record of two hours, one minute and 39 seconds (2: 01: 39), which he set in Berlin in 2018, also aims to beat history and run a marathon of 42.195 kilometers in under two hours. 

The landmark affair is scheduled to take place between the 12^th and 20^th of October depending on the weather conditions, where the King of marathons will not be racing against other athletes but racing against time. Following Nike’s Breaking2 challenge in Monza where he achieved a time of 2:00:25 seconds  and after also memorably destroying the world marathon record in Berlin last year by 78 seconds – courtesy of his stunning 2:01:39 mark – and this year running the second fastest marathon time in London, Eliud believes the time is right for him to prove no human is limited but also inspire future generations.

Kipchoge will be accompanied by 41 pace-setters from all continents in his bid to unlock the human potential in a race against himself.  The pace-setters who comprise of world champions, world record holders and Olympic medalists, some of whom have been training with him, will be rotated in and out of the race because they cannot maintain his pace, showing how fast he will be expected to run.

Why Vienna?

You may be wondering why the INEOS 1:59 challenge has been set in Vienna and not any other location.

Well, the location was settled on after a wide search based on specifications set by the performance team and Kipchoge including the climatic and environmental conditions such as heat, temperature and wind while still maintain the authenticity of the race. Below are some of the reasons why Vienna was ideal for the INEOS 1:59 challenge.

1. Vienna boasts of a wonderful weather at this time of the year. Early morning and late evening it registers between 7 and 14 degrees Celsius, which was ideal for the preferred temperature of 10 degrees Celsius. The schedule of the race will be highly dependent on the pressure and humidity, preferably 80% humidity which could be early morning.
2. Vienna is only an hour behind the Kenyan time zone and will therefore not be too destabilizing or disorienting due to jetlag for Kipchoge’s regular routine.
3. Apart from the stable weather conditions, the prater hauptallee Vienna race course he will be running on only has an incline of 2.4 meters which is considered pretty straight and will be offering a 9.6-kilometer circuit.

Eliud Kipchoge’s Training Ground – Kaptagat

Kipchoge known for taking meticulous notes on his training schedule, has been keeping his fans and supporters a breast with his training regimen through his posts on Instagram and twitter, while maintaining a rigorous routine at the Global Sports Communications camp in Kaptagat. Eliud Kipchoge’s training sessions start at 5 am where he is expected to cover between 200 and 225 kilometers per week while peppered with speed training sessions and glute exercises.

You may be wondering why he would be training in Kaptagat, a small town off Eldoret town, and not Nairobi or even the state of the art training centers in other parts of the world.

1. Kaptagat like Iten and Kapsait, is known for sports tourism and iconic training grounds and routes for athletes. It is a town ideal for high altitude training due to its altitude of 2400 meters and low oxygen levels, therefore giving the muscles of athletes a natural boost when competing in areas where oxygen is plenty.
2. It is a preferred destination of choice for most professional middle and long distance runners because it boasts of a large community of runners for moral support and light competition while training.  It is favored because its training routes run through the serene, cool and quite environment of the Kaptagat forest.
3. Kaptagat offers a range of accommodation options from house rentals within the town to mid-range camps and high-end hotels depending on an individual’s budget.

Incase you wish to visit Kaptagat, Iten or Kapsait to feel the altitude or to follow on Eliud’s humble backgrounds including the training camp, you can contact us to make arrangements.

We look forward to hearing from and working with you.