Press Release - Vienna City Marathon - 10/14/19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                        Vienna City Marathon:
 
    The Eyes of the World turn to Vienna: "There is only one Kipchoge"
 
Eliud Kipchoge broke one of the greatest barriers in sport history in a 
thrilling performance in Vienna when 34-year-old Kenyan became the first to 
run the classic marathon distance in under two hours. To the jubilation of 
the spectators this exceptional athlete ran 1:59:40.2 in the INEOS 1:59 
Challenge in Vienna's Prater Park on Saturday. It was a run which made the 
world hold its breath in fascination and will give the entire sport of 
running a huge boost. Although the time cannot be accepted as an official 
world record, the performance is unique: Eliud Kipchoge ran a marathon in 
under two hours. The event was made possible by its British title sponsor 
INEOS, who covered all financial costs and the organizing team of the 
Vienna City Marathon who conjured up magic to stage this event.
 
"We are proud of you," said Kenya's Vice-President William Ruto to Eliud 
Kipchoge at a party on Saturday evening near the finish line in Prater 
Park. The Vice-President had travelled to Vienna specially to experience 
Eliud Kipchoge's run. That showed something of the importance which this 
race had for Kenya. It was for Kenyans the equivalent of what would be 
winning the football World Cup for Germans. "I stood at the finish line and 
looked down the road. The clock was ticking and showed 1:58 - you were 
nowhere to be seen…" explained William Ruto about the closing stages. "I 
asked myself: Where are you? What are we going to say if you don't do it? 
Thank you, that you have made this possible!" Ruto added to the amusement 
of the guests: "You must give yourself time to recover - but we all need to 
recover from our anxiety."
 
The Vice-President added: "We are celebrating here in style in Vienna - but 
that is nothing compared to the joy in Kenya." Videos online showed 
thousands of people freaking out at a public viewing in Eldoret. In the 
capital Nairobi, the traffic came to standstill in some parts because 
people were dancing in the street. And even in Vienna there were people 
outside Eliud Kipchoge's hotel at one in the morning, singing at the top of 
their voices: "There's only one Kipchoge…"
 
Wolfgang Konrad, head of the Vienna City Marathon which takes place in 
April each year, said: "Thank you, Eliud! This is indescribable. This event 
will be remembered for generations. Everyone who was at the finish line 
couldn't help but be thrilled. Vienna is now the home of the fastest 
marathon in the world and will always be linked with the first 1:59 
marathon. I am sure many runners, now they know these surroundings, will 
want to run here. The entire race is a fantastic worldwide advertisement 
for the sport of running and Vienna."
 
Eliud Kipchoge thanked everyone involved who had supported him on the way 
to achieving his marathon dream - especially his pacemakers: "We came 
together as a team and that's what made it possible. I've showed: No Human 
is limited. I was the first. But I now believe that there will be other 
athletes who will run under two hours."
 
Before the INEOS 1:59 Challenge Eliud Kipchoge had made clear that this 
would not be his last marathon. In all probability the Kenyan will run at 
the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year where he is the defending champion in 
the marathon. Given the brutal weather conditions which can be expected in 
Tokyo in mid-summer, his Dutch manager Jos Hermens commented: "We then have 
to see how he comes through them." For that reason it is not foreseeable at 
present when and if at all Eliud Kipchoge might undertake another attempt 
to attack the two hour barrier under conditions which confirm to record 
requirements. The asphalt which was laid specially for the race on Prater 
Park's newly tarmacked Hauptallee should certainly last for a couple of 
years…
 
For more information please visit: www.vienna-marathon.com.

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