This time was 18 seconds faster than the previous world record. In 2018, Kipchoge broke the 26.2-mile world record while running the Berlin Marathon, which he ran in 2:01:39. However, the Vienna bid will be record ineligible though because pacers will be coming in and out of the event. The wide roads are traffic-free and the park is only one hour behind Kipchoge’s base in Kenya. Supporters can line the route and cheer on Kipchoge which they could not do in Italy.

The track is straight (90% straight), flat, and fast. The eight-day window is to ensure optimal weather. The end of the road has a roundabout making the turn easy. Each lap has Kipchoge running 4.3km and back, which he does about 4.5 times. This time, Vienna, Austria was chosen because of the optimal conditions of the weather in October as well as the track. During the first attempt, Kichoge ran a 2:00:25 record-ineligible marathon (the attempt being ineligible because of the use of alternating pacers). The first was in 2017 during Nike’s Breaking2 Project. This is the second time Kipchoge has attempted a sub-2 hour marathon. The event - called Ineos 1:59 Challenge - will take place in Vienna, Austria at The Prater park. Eliud Kipchoge will attempt to run a sub-2 hour marathon in sometime between the 12th and 20th of October.

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