"My mind was on under-two hours but in the last two laps I fell 10 seconds behind the pace," the Olympic champion said. "I am happy to have done it in two hours," Kipchoge added when asked if he thought sub-two hours was possible. In 2014, Runners World magazine predicted a sub-two under normal race conditions would not happen until 2075, based on analysis of more than 10,000 top marathon performances. The Monza track was chosen for its wide, sweeping curves, lack of undulation and cool, low-wind environment. The sub-two hour mark required a pace below four minutes and 35 seconds per mile, which the determined Kipchoge managed to stick to until falling behind the pace car in the last two laps of the 2.4 km circuit.

Source: The Star May 06, 2017 05:39 UTC