Kenyans have heartily congratulated Eliud Kipchogeafter breaking the two-hour marathon barrier in the INEOS 1:59 Challenge.
Kipchoge, the World Marathon champion (2:01:39) finished the race at 1: 59:40.
He becomes the first human to run a marathon in less than 2 hours.
However, this record will not be counted as an official record since he got assistance from 41 pacemakers.
The race also made use of a leading pace car, which helped the pacemakers and the 34-year-old to maintain a constant speed.
Unlike in normal marathons where athletes picked drinks for themselves, Eliud was being handed drinks and energy gels from a bike every 3.1 miles.
This helped him maintain his speed and keep up with his pacemakers.
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) doesn’t recognize the aids accorded to Eliud during his INEOS 1:59 Challenge, thus any record set during this race will not be recognized by this body.
He began the race at 9:15 am East African Time.
The race which took place in Vienna, Austria used a route of two 2.67-mile stretch and two small loops at each end.
Here are reactions from Kenyans: