Scientists only predicted in 50 years: How a Kenyan managed to break an incredible record

Imagine you are running the best race of your life, kilometer after kilometer the time is getting better and better, everything fits perfectly yes 42 kilometer race finish in less than two hours, a first in the history of athletics.

You pass through the finish line in the center. London with a time of one hour, 59 minutes and 41 seconds, yet silver comes around your neck, you are not the first either in the race or in history.

That's exactly what happened to Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha who finished the London Marathon in second place with a history-making time, however, 'only' 11 seconds faster than him was Sebastian Save who picked up all that the marathon had to offer.

Kenyan Sebastian Save wrote a new page in sports history. He won the London marathon with a time of 1:59:30 and became the first athlete to finish the marathon in less than two hours in the official competition, thus breaking the previous world record.

The winner of the marathon also received a record cash prize. In addition to the base $55.000 for the win, Save collected an additional $125.000 for the world record and a $150.000 bonus for being the first man under two hours, for a total of $330.000.

Three timeless results

The mentioned story of the Ethiopian Yomif Kejelch, who took second place in London with a time of under two hours, which until yesterday (April 27) was absolutely unimaginable, speaks of the intensity and the race itself.

In addition to the winner, the Ethiopian also had the race of his life, who finished the race only 11 seconds slower than Save, so he will go down in history as the second man to do so, but also with the second marathon time ever.

Photo: AP Photo/Ian Walton

However, it did not end there, and the bronze broke the previous record, Jake Kiplimo from Uganda crossed the finish line third with a time of two hours and 28 seconds.

He broke the previous record, which stood until this race, held by the late Kelvin Kiptum (2:00:35, Chicago 2023) by seven seconds.

In the women's competition, Tigst Assefa from Ethiopia defended last year's title. She finished the race in 2:15:41, which is the best result in the history of this course.

Only in 2075, scientists said

In the text of the portal "The Irish Times" from the end of 2016, research was presented about, at that time, running a marathon under two hours, as well as the works of the "Nike" company, which even then claimed that the limit could still be reached quickly.

At the time of research, the record stood at 2:02:57 and was set by Kenyan Dennis Kimet in Berlin in 2014. Although the marathon record was broken almost every year, the two-hour mark was considered unbreakable.

Sports science people have predicted that the two-hour limit will remain in place until or around 2075. However, the Nike company in its project called "Breaking2" made it known that the magic limit will be broken.

Photo: Ben Whitley/PA via AP

The exact details of both projects are not fully known, but it is clear that Nike found its advantage in sports equipment, running shoes, good conditions, and numerous nutritional supplements.

However, two such results were achieved in London in one race. The winning duo of Sava and Kejelci achieved it much earlier — not only in relation to predictions, but earlier than could realistically have been expected.

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