How Kipchoge, Sport Science & Nike Combined To Break The Magical 2 Hour Marathon Barrier

What happens when a great athlete combines with sports science and technology, and has an assault on a previously unattainable barrier - success...and controversy! There has been a huge buzz in athletics world as Nike, in partnership with Eliud Kipchoge, planned an assault not only on on the marathon World Record, but also the previously unbreakable 2 hour marathon barrier. Kipchoge held the official world record time of 2:01: 39 seconds, set at Berlin in 2018, but this was just an all out attempt to break 2 hours. In the first attempt, Nike's "Breaking2" project at Monza Italy, the world's greatest current (and maybe all time) marathon runner missed by only 25 seconds. On 12th October 2019 in Vienna, when Kipchoge managed to succeed on this second attempt, he did so in arguably the most orchestrated and controlled running event ever held. Reaction has ranged from joy and amazement at a truly incredible athlete, to despair at how so many variables, other than Kipchoges pure ability, were responsible for his performance. Perhaps the most overwhelming reaction and talk amongst the running packs surrounds the shoes that Kipchoge wore, and that’s what this podcast delves into – has technology and science overcome raw human capability and performance? In this episode we hear from multiple Australian National and State Cross Country champion, Rob O'Donnell, and discuss everything that went in to the second attempt to enable Kipchoge to go under the 2 hour mark. And Rob is uniquely qualified to comment on these topics, being not only a former elite level runner, but being a Physiotherapist for almost 30 years and now treating many of Australia's great distance runners. Whilst the focus of the podcast is the Nike Alphafly that Kipchoge wore, Rob also discusses the course, the timing, the pacers, the assistance, and the great man Kipchoge himself! Enjoy!