Why is?
As the first man, world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge wants to run the 42.195 kilometers in less than two hours on Saturday (8:15 pm, TV: Eurosport). Kipchoge starts on a prepared running track in the Vienna Prater under laboratory conditions. The subsoil of the 9.6-kilometer round course has been re-paved, and the Kenyan has 41 speeding supporters.
All that is to be financed by the British chemical company Ineos, said a spokesman for the Vienna Marathon of the Austrian newspaper "Der Standard". Already in 2017 Kipchoge tried under similar conditions to undercut the brand. However, on the racetrack in Monza, Italy, he needed 2: 00.25 hours. The two-hour limit is considered the last breakable hour limit in the marathon.
What does the trial cost?
Numbers of Ineos are unknown. The 2017 trial, sponsored by US sporting goods manufacturer Nike, is said to have cost around € 30 million. It is assumed that the retry will be a little more expensive. Reasons for this include the elaborately converted track and the world-class runners who are to support Kipchoge during the race. There are also the three Ingebrigtsen brothers Henrik, Filip and Jakob.
Eliud Kipchoge and the dream team of # INEOS159 pacemakers. # NoHumanIsLimited pic.twitter.com/Blop7uPHyF
- INEOS 1:59 Challenge (@ INEOS159) October 10, 2019Would the time be recognized?
No, because the experiment takes place under laboratory conditions, it does not comply with the rules of the World Federation IAAF. Because the pacemakers are replaced regularly, the attempt is not recognized as an official race. This is a great advantage for the runner because it allows him to run in the slipstream for the entire race and reach 21 km / h. In addition, there are no prescribed meals, Kipchoge gets food when he wants. The German marathon runner Philipp Pflieger said in the SPIEGEL interview on the laboratory experiment: "This has then not much to do with the classic marathon competition, as defined by the international World Federation."
Why Kipchoge?
The Kenyan is an Olympic champion and one of the best, if not the best, marathon runners in history. He can also set records without a runner-up, as he showed at the Berlin Marathon 2018, when he set a world record with 2: 01.39 hours. There, nobody could follow him at a very early stage of the race and he started the race alone at the latest from half on. For this Kipchoge is the most famous runner, which makes him interesting for sponsors. For him, it's about making history. "To be the first to run a marathon under two hours - that would be like landing on the moon - it's about leaving a legacy in the sport," he said.
Alex Halada / AFP
Eliud Kipchoge before the press conference in Vienna
What are the motives of Ineos?
Unlike Nike 2017, Ineos does not want to market sports products. The chemical company is more concerned with building a new image through sport. Ineos is heavily criticized by environmental activists for supporting fracking, a controversial method for extracting oil and gas, and for producing and disposing of plastic waste. Previously, Ineos has already entered other sports: In cycling, the Group took over the Team Sky this year, in football Ineos took over the French first division club OGC Nice.