Athletics : Eliud Kipchoge misses the bet to break the bar in two hours on the distance

Eliud Kipchoge, the Olympic champion of  marathon, and the American equipment manufacturer Nike have just missed their bet to break the bar in two hours on the distance. Everything was brought

together to help Kenyan get there, but the last few kilometers were too difficult. Nevertheless, the performance of Kipchoge opens the door to the dream exploit. "Maybe next time," says Kipchoge.
He almost did it, but the clock did not give way. This Saturday, May 6, 2017, Eliud Kipchoge almost entered the legend of athletics. The Kenyan tried to pass under the very symbolic bar of the two hours on the marathon. The world record is unofficially (and largely) fallen, but the two-hour mark held firm ... for 25 seconds.
Eliud Kipchoge and the Nike equipment manufacturer had prepared everything scientifically to break this chronometer. The athlete has been preparing for weeks at a high altitude in his home in Kenya to be in the best possible shape this Saturday at the Monza racetrack in Italy. The usual race track reserved for the F1 was ideal: flat course and almost optimal weather conditions when starting at 5:45.
Nike also selected a number of high-level hares (including Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa and Eritrean Zernesay Tadese) to print the rhythm, protect Kipchoge from the wind and refuel it efficiently. All were equipped with clothes and shoes stamped with the mark.
True technology jewelry designed to help Kenya to complete 42.195 km in less than two hours. And all these smelters were preceded on the runway by a car, the aim of which was to give the appearance required to descend under two hours and to cause a suction effect.
All these parameters meant that Eliud Kipchoge's time could not be sanctioned by the International Athletics Federation, which was rigorous as regards the setting of world records. But the challenge was above all scientific: it was to show that Man could run more than 42 kilometers in less than two hours.
As expected, the 2016 Olympic champion started very early this Saturday, backed by an army of hares, physiologists, psychologists and all the technology necessary to achieve the feat. All believed in the 32-year-old champion. But Desisa and Tadese finally cracked halfway, leaving Kipchoge alone on the track, the only one facing the challenge. After 30 kilometers, the Kenyan was still in the rhythm, to the second second.
Then, after 35 kilometers, Eliud Kipchoge began to tire. The stride has become less regular. And the encouragement of all did not allow Kipchoge to go and get the dream timer in the final stretch. His final time: 2 hours and 25 seconds. This is much better than his previous (official) personal record of 2 hours 3 minutes and 5 seconds. It is also better than the world record (official), set in 2014 by Kenyan Dennis Kimetto in 2 hours 2 minutes and 57 seconds.
"In the marathon, everything is played in the last 20 minutes," said Jos Hermens. Eliud Kipchoge's manager judges that "the humidity was too strong" in Monza. "It was 80%. At 60%, it was good. The 25 seconds are surely there, "he continues. At the end of his race, Kipchoge was optimistic: "Maybe next time ... I can now say that it is possible for a human to run under two hours". A new era is opening in the marathon world.

tags: africa24monde