The INEOS 159 Challenge was an organized marathon attempt conducted on October 12, 2019, in Vienna, Austria, specifically designed to enable Eliud Kipchoge to break the two-hour barrier in marathon running. The project was funded by multinational company INEOS and involved optimized conditions, scientific support, and a team of elite pacing runners.
Kipchoge ran 1:59:40, becoming the first human to complete a marathon in under two hours. This achievement, while conducted in controlled conditions (similar to the Breaking2 project), represented a historic symbolic milestone in human athletic performance.
The time was not ratified as an official world record by World Athletics due to the non-standard conditions (specially selected pace athletes, optimized environmental conditions, closed course). However, it demonstrated the human capacity for endurance performance and validated the sub-two-hour marathon as achievable by an elite athlete under optimal conditions.
The INEOS 159 Challenge demonstrated the power of scientific optimization, funding, and coordination to push human performance toward its limits.
See Also
- Eliud Kipchoge
- Breaking2 Project
- Kenya Athletics Overview
- Berlin Marathon Kenya
- Kenya Marathon Majors
Sources
- INEOS 159 Challenge Official Documentation - https://www.ineos159challenge.com/
- Kipchoge, E. "No Human is Limited" - Autobiography and Race Documentation
- World Athletics Ratification Standards for Marathon Records