With a time of 2: 01: 39, Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge smashed the world record at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday. Details.
“The mind carries the body, the mental force is the key,” says Eliud Kipchoge. Sunday in Berlin , the best marathoner in history has added to his fabulous track record a legendary world record , spraying the previous mark by more than a minute.
With a time of 2 h 01 min 39 sec, the 33-year-old Kenyan becomes the first man to run within 2 hours two minutes. He is relegating the record of 2:02:57, set by his compatriot Dennis Kimetto on the same course in Berlin in 2014.
👏 RECORD DU MONDE DU MARATHON ! 👏
Eliud Kipchoge met une claque (2h02’57”) au précédent record et entre dans l’histoire en 2h01’40” !#lequipeATHLE pic.twitter.com/o4dME1SIWb
— la chaine L’ÉQUIPE (@lachainelequipe) September 16, 2018
Absolute master of the world marathon
“My only word is thanks! He said at the finish, to his entourage and the organizers of Berlin, after celebrating his achievement almost like a footballer, showing that he still had energy.
Absolute master of the world marathon, now winner of ten of the eleven events he has contested (including three times London, three times Berlin and the Olympic marathon Rio), Kipchoge is also the human being who has come closest the mythical barrier of two hours, during a private test in Italy in 2017, running the 42.195 km in 2 h 00 min 25 sec.
Succeeded out of competition, the time was not approved.
Alone in the world
“I ran the fastest marathon ever, but it’s not a world record. I must now beat my best performance and make it a world record. That, I would appreciate, “he said Friday, with in his eyes the flame that never goes out when he talks about his sport.
On Sunday, his eyes and concentration on the starting line were impressive. “When I run,” he explains, “I disconnect my thoughts to focus solely on my race.”
Alone in the world, he went ahead with the shotgun starter, only preceded by his hares to give him the tempo during the first hour.
From his light stride, he swallowed the asphalt and gradually widened the gap on Kimetto’s lap times, taking advantage of the perfect conditions this autumn Sunday: a temperature around 20 ° C at the moment of arrival, dry and sunny weather and especially not a breath of wind.
At the 26th kilometer, after exhausting his last hare, this great reader of philosophy books found himself isolated, facing the Everest of athletics that represents a marathon world record.
“Yes, it was hard to be alone, but I had confidence, I said that I would run my own race, following my schedule, prepared with my coaches.”
Kipsang third only
It was the fourth time he had tried his luck on Berlin’s fastest-known pavement, where the last seven men’s world records were broken.
Last year, he won, but the cold and rain prevented him from approaching the record. In 2015, also winner, he had been slowed down by a problem of sole. And in 2014, for his first participation, he had suffered his only defeat in marathon, beaten by his compatriot Wilson Kipsang, author that day of a world record in 2:03:23.
At 36, Kipsang was still Sunday on the starting line, with the ambition to set the record. Starting more slowly for, according to his plan, to accelerate on the second half-marathon, he did not keep pace and finished third (2:06:48.), Behind another Kenyan, Amos Kipruto (2:06:23;).
On the women’s side, Kenya’s Gladys Cherono, winner last year, won again in 2:18:11. The queen of long distance races Tirunesh Dibaba, a very strong side, dropped in the second half of the race and finally took third place in 2h18: 55. His Ethiopian compatriot Ruti Aga climbed onto the second step of the podium (2:18:34).
