Kipchoge’s INEOS159 bid: What you need to know

WHAT: Running a marathon under two hours has become a coveted barrier for the athletics fraternity. That, in essence, is what Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge will be trying to do on Saturday.

It will require that Kipchoge shaves 26 seconds off his fastest ever 42-km-run from a previous attempt of this nature where he clocked 2:00:25 at the Monza race track in Italy in 2017.

The current world record recognised by IAAF, set by Kipchoge himself last year in Berlin, is 2:02:39.

WHO: After Nike-sponsored bid fell excruciatingly short two years, ago, INEOS – a British multinational chemicals company –  and its billionaire owner Jim Ratcliffe are backing Kipchoge in his latest assault of the mythical two-hour barrier.

WHEN: Saturday, October 12 (Time set between 6am – 10am EAT)

WHERE: Vienna, Austria.

COURSE INFO: Kipchoge will need to run 4.4 laps at the 4.3km stretch on the Prater Hauptallee in order to complete the marathon distance.

HOW TO WATCH: INEOS will offer a live stream for audiences around the world.

Leading broadcaster Citizen TV will air the event so you can it on https://d2z29ewm3cfxbg.cloudfront.net/tv/

WHY: To test how fast a human being is capable of running the marathon under optimal conditions. Kipchoge has emphasised he is taking on the challenge to prove ‘no human is limited’.