MYTHICAL MARK
Kipchoge in bid to smash two-hour marathon barrier
Eldoret — Kenya’s Olympic and two-time London marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge will skip the world championships this year in a bid to break the mythical two-hour barrier for the long-distance event. The 32-year-old Kenyan is one of three runners selected by American sportswear giant Nike to make the marathon record attempt later this year. Kipchoge believes this may happen as early as May, offering no further details on where or how the race would be held. "I am proud to be part and parcel of this Nike Breaking2 project ... I am going to break the two-hour mark in May," Kipchoge said in Eldoret, the high-altitude city in western Kenya used as a training centre for many long-distance runners. "Many people have expressed doubts whether it would be logical to achieve this sooner than later, but I believe that it is all possible if we train hard and put all our focus on it." In 1908, Irishman Johnny Hayes won the first marathon set at the modern distance of 42.195km in a time of 2:55:1...
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