The greatest marathon runner of all time has shaved another 30 seconds off his own world record. But the two-hour barrier is safe, for now.
Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge has just clocked the fastest ever marathon, in an official race.
The 37-year-old famously broke the two-hour barrier in a controlled, non-race run in 2019. But no athlete has ever done it in a ratified event.
The Tokyo gold medalist pushed the limits in Berlin, though, running a 2:01:09. It’s 30 seconds faster than his next best race time.
Kipchoge’s previous world record was a 2:01:39, set in 2018 and also in Berlin. Five of the top six official best marathon runs are all in Germany’s capital.
It was only a week ago that Moses Kibet recorded the fastest ever marathon on Australian soil, in the Sydney Blackmores event, going 2:07:03. Sydney’s course is a tougher assignment than many around the world, with tight corners and undulation. But it’s more evidence the boundaries are continuing to be pushed.
Speculation has already begun as to whether Kipchoge will ever run a quicker 26.2 mile race… and if so, whether the two-hour milestone is safe.
