• • Scheduled for Saturday, 12 October, marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge will attempt to break two hours in the INEOS 1:59 Challenge. The run is taking place in Vienna, Austria.
  • Viewers can stream the event live on this page (via YouTube) when the event kicks off.

When the fastest marathoner in the world is attempting to be the first person to break two hours in the marathon, you need to clear your calendar!

It is all scheduled to go down on Saturday, 12 October, in Vienna, Austria, where Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya will try to go sub-2:00 in a special event called the INEOS 1:59 Challenge. Similar to Kipchoge’s previous attempt to break the barrier in 2017, as part of Nike’s Breaking2 project, the INEOS event will not be eligible for a world record, as it will involve a rotating set of pacers. However, as Kipchoge told Runner’s World in August, getting an official record is not the point.

“This is about history, it’s about leaving a legacy. It’s about inspiring people. It will mean a lot when I run under two hours,” he said.

Here’s how to see the race play out.

WHAT: INEOS 1:59 Challenge

WHEN: Saturday, 12 October; the race is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. in Vienna (same time zone as SA)

WHY TO WATCH: Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya was this close to breaking the barrier in 2017, when he ran 2:00:25. Since then, he has grown stronger and faster, clocking the fastest record-eligible marathons of all time within the last year.

HOW TO WATCH: Right here, courtesy of the INEOS YouTube stream of the event.

At the Breaking2 Project, Kipchoge narrowly missed his target, finishing in 2:00:25. While shaving another 25 seconds off that time will be challenging, the 34-year-old has undoubtedly gotten stronger and faster since his first attempt. Last year, he lopped a minute and 18 seconds off the previous marathon world record in Berlin, running 2:01:39. Then a few months later, at the 2019 London Marathon in April, he ran his second-fastest time ever, winning the race in 2:02:37.

It’s one year to the day since @EliudKipchoge broke the marathon world record in Berlin.

⏱️ 16.09.2018 – 2:01:39

⏱️ 12.10.2019 – ???#INEOS159 #NoHumanIsLimited pic.twitter.com/hcYc7pVnzi

— INEOS 1:59 Challenge (@INEOS159) September 16, 2019

The conditions for Vienna seem to be on Kipchoge’s side: he’ll be running flat, 9.6K paved loops in a shaded park called The Prater, with spectators lining the course. He’ll also have a top-notch team of pacers, including Bernard Lagat and the talented Norwegian siblings Henrik, Filip, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

To learn more about Eliud Kipchoge’s attempt to break 2 in the marathon at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, visit ineos159challenge.com.

READ MORE ON: Eliud Kipchoge INEOS 1:59 Challenge marathon world record news