All eyes on Eliud Kipchoge in Vienna for INEOS 1:59

All eyes on Eliud Kipchoge in Vienna for INEOS 1:59

Kenyan world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge, left for Vienna, Austria on Monday where he is expected to take part in the INEOS 1:59 challenge.

Kipchoge is seeking to make history as being the first man in the world to run the inaugural sub-two-hour marathon.

“The final hours in our training camp before leaving for a race always feel very special to me. Thankful for all of my teammates and staff who helped get me here. Asante sana,” the marathon champion said on Twitter.

The target date for Kipchoge is between October 12-14, according to ineos159challenge.com. The exact date will be confirmed three days to the event.

All eyes will be be on him to see if he can complete the race in less than two hours, thus the name ‘INEOS 1:59’.

He will also be seeking to break the record he set in 2018, where he won the Berlin marathon clocking a record time of 2:01:39 hours.

Ineos159challenge.com confirmed that the decision was made for Kipchoge to fly from his training camp in Kaptagat, Kenya to Vienna on Sunday, October 6.

He left with his coach Patrick Sang and a number of his team-mates, now pacemakers.

The manager Valentijn Trouw only informed Kipchoge hours to their departure that it was time to go.

It has also been reported that INEOS 1:59 meteorology and performance experts will provide weather data to Kipchoge’s coaching team and use this to collectively make the decision as to what date and time the INEOS 1:59 challenge will take place, to give Kipchoge the best possible chance of success.

One of the reasons Vienna was picked for the venue of the INEOS 1:59 Challenge is its favorable weather conditions in October.

“The unique nature of this extraordinary event means we are not in a position where we can confirm the date or the start time of the Challenge until we can be absolutely certain the weather conditions are suitable” the organisers said.

Additional reports from ineos159challenge.com indicate that once the green light is given and the three-day countdown begins,  Kipchoge will switch his nutrition and begin carb-loading.

The decision for the optimal start time will take into account various factors including weather, nutrition and Kipchoge’s circadian rhythm.

Kipchoge and his team can then make their final preparations and the world can start getting ready to watch the INEOS 1:59 challenge live.

Robby Ketchell, who is leading the weather analysis for the INEOS 1:59 Challenge Performance Team, said: “We know there are millions of people around the world who want to watch Eliud make history, whether that is on TV or on the streets in Vienna, and they want to know when it will be taking place.”

He added: “The unique nature of this extraordinary event means we are not in a position where we can confirm the date or the start time of the Challenge until we can be absolutely certain the weather conditions are suitable.”

The optimum weather conditions for the INEOS 1:59 challenge are reportedly temperatures between 7 and 14 degrees Celsius, humidity below 80 per cent, dry conditions and less wind.

Eliud Kipchoge has been hailed as one of the greatest marathoners in history.

According to a report from IAAF , he was honored with the Laureus Academy’s Exceptional Achievement award in February this year, a discretionary award that has only been handed out three times previously in the history of the event.

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Eliud Kipchoge INEOS159 INEOS Challenge

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