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