Absolutely amazing!
The incredible science behind Eliud Kipchoge's 1:59 marathonBefore we get into what helped Kipchoge cross the line in 1:59:40, it's worth pausing and considering how ridiculously quick this is. To break it down, it's under a 2:50 min/km pace for 42 kilometres or around 4:34.5 per mile for each of the 26 miles. Each of Kipchoge's kilometres were between 2:48min/km and 2:52min/km – meaning at no point did he fall behind the target 1:59:59 pace. Those figures might not mean much when they're viewed on their own but when compared to regular humans, they're ridiculous.
According to Runners World, the average 5km finish time in the UK (an equivalent distance to a Parkrun) is 33 minutes and 54 seconds. For men it is 29:08 and women 38:12. Completing a marathon in less than two hours required Kipchoge to run 5km in 14:13, eight times in a row.
Equally, the 10,000m (10km) male world record sits at shade over 26:17 and Kipchoge had to repeatedly run 28:26. A 1:59:59 marathon is the equivalent of running 100m sprints in just over 17 seconds – 422 times in a row.