What made it possible for Eliud Kipchoge to break the unofficial two-hour marathon mark?
What made it possible for Eliud Kipchoge to break the unofficial two-hour marathon mark? Sport exists outside the realm of Live Action in the multiverse. Wordsmiths’ retellings of it are seen and heard and studied in depth.
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Surely, world-class athlete, Eliud Kipchoge has faith in his own ability, right? Certainly, that is the case.
At the Berlin Marathon on September 26, Kenyan runner Kipchoge set a new world record by 30 seconds, which he promptly broke.
Time
On the fast Berlin track, where 12 marathon world records have fallen—including three by women—Kipchoge recorded 2 hours, 1 minute, and 09 seconds.
With 15 victories out of 17, Kipchoge has established himself as the best marathon runner in history.
In 2019, in Vienna, he accomplished one of his greatest exploits, however, it was not an official marathon but rather a one-time special race with the goal of breaking the two-hour barrier.
Kipchoge completed the race in 1 minute, 59 seconds. Vienna 2019 was unique because of the difficulty of the challenge, even with the help of a specially designed course, teams of pacers, laser beam lighting to guide him to run within the necessary time, and specially designed running shoes.
What if I don’t make it to the finish line? What if I fail to do it, much less fail to do it? Can I safely stop running after 20 kilometers?
Episode
In Episode 5 of the INEOS 1:59 challenge documentary, Kipchoge expresses concern over what the outside world will make of his attempt to run the marathon in under 1:59. The last episode was shot after Kipchoge had already broken the barrier, but the earlier episodes show the buildup to that moment.
As soon as he started running, all the stress left his body, according to Kipchoge. By the 38th kilometer, Kipchoge was sure he would finish in under two hours because to the frequent pacer changes that kept his mind from becoming stale.
In the documentary’s first segment, viewers visit Kipchoge on his family’s farm, where he often goes to unwind.
Kipchoge
According to Kipchoge, a person’s dedication to their work is measured by the number of animals they own. “The first animal is the cow, and after the cow you can buy sheep and goat,” he explains. As a prize for his victories in London and Berlin, Kipchoge received two cows.
Since Kipchoge spends the week in a camp in Kaptagat, it is up to his wife Grace to take care of the farm and their three kids.
Grace predicts that her youngest child of three will take up jogging. Kipchoge discusses his first attempt at the Monza marathon, which he fell short of by 26 seconds, and his subsequent confidence that he will break the two-hour barrier in Vienna in October 2019.
Critics who think Kipchoge got too much support when he ran under two hours might change their minds after watching this documentary.
Directed
The Kenyan town of Iten, located in the Rift Valley region, is sometimes referred to as “the home of the champions.” Many of the world’s best runners gather at Iten in the weeks leading up to a major race.
Iten is a great place for distance runners to train because of the 2,400-meter height, the tropical climate, and the mud roads that assist improve lower legs. Exactly what do the Kalinjen eat, though?
Kalinjen tribe distance runners in Iten subsist primarily on Ugali, a staple maize dish. Hugo Van Den Broek, the trainer of the silver medalist in the 10,000 meters at the African Games, claims that the typical diet in the area consists primarily of beans, rice, and ugali, with the occasional addition of meat due to a lack of resources.
The film examined the traditions around running in Iten and the diets of Kalinjen athletes.
Maize or corn, ugali’s primary ingredient, is sown in April and harvested in September or October. Only the best seeds are chosen and then processed into a fine powder.
This powder is dissolved in hot water, which is then reheated while being agitated. Ugali is an inexpensive diet option for runners because it is easy to prepare and a little serving provides enough calories and vitamins to fuel an entire workout.
Events
Ugali is a type of hard, cake-like bread that can be eaten on its own or softened by adding liquid, such as soup or broth. Beef stew with ugali, known as managu, is another favorite.
Milk is given a smokey flavor through a process of fermentation and fixing with the ashes of the branches of the calabash tree.
Runners from other countries may need to acquire a taste for the all-natural and widely available diet.
World champion in both the 1,500 and 5,000-meter events, Bernard Lagat, is represented in the film by his sister.
The film explains why runners are such a tight-knit society and how the running culture encourages athletes to challenge one another to get better.