Running a marathon in two hours without drugs can be achieved in the next five years, UCT scientist Prof Andrew Bosch said at the Africa launch of the Sub2-hour marathon project on Tuesday night. Kenyan Dennis Kimetto holds the world marathon record of 02:02:57, set in Berlin in 2014. "Running sub-two hours is to the marathon what sub-four minutes was to the mile some 60 years ago‚" Bosch said at the Sports Science Institute of SA in Cape Town. "It’s no longer if, but when." Sports Science Institute co-founder Prof Tim Noakes threw his weight behind the project‚ suggesting they talk to track star Wayde van Niekerk about his mental training. "You have to convince the brain it is possible‚" he said. Noakes said the mind would be the greatest hurdle to breaking the two-hour barrier. Only 46 days after Roger Bannister broke the "impossible" four-minute-mile barrier‚ it was done again by Canadian runner John Landy. To break two hours would be like running eight-and-a-half consecutive 5km...
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