Eliud Kipchoge breaks the two-hour marathon barrier

Selection of historic world best marathon times

Johnny Hayes (US) 1908, London

2:55:18.4

Alexis Ahlgren (Swe) 1913, Polytechnic Marathon

2:36:06.6

Jim Peters (UK) 1952, Polytechnic Marathon

2:17:39.4

Derek Clayton (Aus) 1967, Fukuoka

2:09:36.4

Khalid Khannouchi (Mor) 1999, Chicago

2:05:42

Haile Gebrselassie (Eth) 2008, Berlin

2:03:59

Eliud Kipchoge (Ken) 2018, Berlin

2:01:39

Eliud Kipchoge (Ken) 2019, Vienna

1:59:40.2

Note: The Polytechnic Marathon was held annually between 1909 and 1996, over various courses in or near London

The tactics

Kipchoge is surrounded at all times by a team of pacemakers to minimise wind resistance. Laser beams shone on the road shows the pace Kipchoge needed to maintain and the pacemakers their positions

Kipchoge

Electric car

Laser beams

Pacemakers

The route

The route is repeated 4.4 times

Hauptallee

Vienna

Prater park

1 km

1 mile

Eliud Kipchoge breaks the two-hour marathon barrier

The tactics

Selection of historic world best marathon times

Kipchoge is surrounded at all times by a team of pacemakers to minimise wind resistance. Laser beams shone on the road shows the pace Kipchoge needed to maintain and the pacemakers their positions

Johnny Hayes (US) 1908, London

2:55:18.4

Alexis Ahlgren (Swe) 1913, Polytechnic Marathon

2:36:06.6

Kipchoge

Electric car

Jim Peters (UK) 1952, Polytechnic Marathon

2:17:39.4

Laser beams

Derek Clayton (Aus) 1967, Fukuoka

2:09:36.4

Pacemakers

The route

Khalid Khannouchi (Mor) 1999, Chicago

2:05:42

The route is repeated 4.4 times

Hauptallee

Haile Gebrselassie (Eth) 2008, Berlin

2:03:59

Vienna

Eliud Kipchoge (Ken) 2018, Berlin

2:01:39

Prater park

Eliud Kipchoge (Ken) 2019, Vienna

1:59:40.2

Note: The Polytechnic Marathon was held annually between 1909 and 1996, over various courses in or near London

1 km

1 mile