Running News Daily

On May 6, 2017, the world witnessed one of the boldest and most revolutionary experiments ever attempted in distance running. Under the ambitious Nike Breaking2 project, three elite athletes lined up with a single mission that many believed was impossible — to run a marathon in under two hours.

At the time, the official marathon world record stood at 2:02:57, and shaving nearly three minutes from that mark seemed beyond human limits. But Nike was not simply organizing a race. Breaking2 was designed as a complete scientific and athletic operation, bringing together advanced sports technology, physiology, pacing strategy, nutrition, and environmental optimization in pursuit of history.

The challenge took place at the Monza Formula One circuit in Italy, where conditions were carefully selected to maximize speed. Rotating pacemakers shielded the runners from wind resistance, hydration was delivered while moving, and every detail — from temperature and race rhythm to training models and recovery — was analyzed with precision.

Although the event was not recognized as an official world record attempt because of the rotating pacemakers and mobile aid delivery, it became one of the defining moments in modern athletics.

At the center of it all stood Eliud Kipchoge.

The Kenyan superstar produced a performance that stunned the sporting world, crossing the line in an astonishing 2:00:25 — just 25 seconds short of the mythical barrier. Remarkably, he missed the target by roughly one second per mile, proving just how close humanity had come to redefining endurance sport forever.

What made Kipchoge’s run even more extraordinary was the calmness and control he displayed throughout the attempt. While the pace demanded near perfection for two straight hours, he maintained remarkable composure, turning the final laps into an unforgettable moment of belief and resilience.

Years later, Kipchoge would finally complete the mission by running under two hours at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, cementing his legacy as the greatest marathon runner of all time. But Breaking2 was the foundation. It was the experiment that shifted human imagination.

The other two athletes in the challenge — Zersenay Tadese and Lelisa Desisa — also delivered courageous performances, though both finished outside the sub-two-hour mark despite all the optimizations provided.

Final Results

1. Eliud Kipchoge — 2:00:25

2. Zersenay Tadese — 2:06:51

3. Lelisa Desisa — 2:14:10

Beyond the stopwatch, Breaking2 transformed the entire sport. The project introduced the revolutionary Nike Zoom Vaporfly Elite, featuring a curved carbon-fiber plate combined with highly responsive Pebax foam cushioning. That innovation sparked the modern “super shoe” era that has since reshaped road racing and distance running worldwide.

For decades, marathon racing shoes were designed to be thin and lightweight with minimal cushioning. Breaking2 changed that philosophy completely. Suddenly, athletes could run with greater energy return, more protection, and increased efficiency without sacrificing speed. The impact has been so profound that marathon performances across the globe have entered an entirely new era.

More importantly, Breaking2 proved something deeper about sport itself: even with cutting-edge technology, ideal pacing, scientific preparation, and world-class talent, running a marathon at such extraordinary speeds remains one of the greatest physical achievements on Earth.

Nine years later, the images from Monza still feel iconic — the clock ticking toward two hours, the pacemakers rotating in formation, and Kipchoge surging toward the finish line with a smile that symbolized possibility itself.

Breaking2 was more than an event. It was the moment marathon running stepped into the future.

Experts predict first sub two-hour marathon will come in 2032.

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge broke the men’s world record at the Berlin Marathon in September 2018 with a time of two hours, one minute and 39 seconds, edging 78 seconds ahead of previous record holder, Dennis Kimetto.

Using a statistical model to analyse the timings and dates of data provided by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) from as far back as 1950, scientists believe there is a one in 10 chance that the first person to go below the two-hour mark will do so in May 2032.

Publishing their findings in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise journal, researchers think the best a male runner will be able to achieve is one hour, 58 minutes and five seconds.

The likelihood of a woman runner breaking the two-hour mark is less likely, at lower than one in 100, with scientists predicting the fastest possible time of two hours, five minutes and 31 seconds.

“Breaking the sub-two hour marathon in an official event has attracted growing interest in recent times with commercial and international momentum building,” said Dr Simon Angus, associate professor of economics at Monash Business School, and author of the paper.

“Prospects of a male athlete going sub-two hours in an IAAF event, even in the near future, would appear high given that the most recent world record reduced the mark by 78 seconds, and the Nike Breaking2 project produced a time just 25 seconds outside this two-hour barrier.

“However, a 13-year wait seems more in line with the evidence.

“While a sub-two hour run could occur any time between now and May 2032, the likelihood of that occurring is extremely rare.

Andrew Bumbalough, a member of Nike’s Bowerman Track Club, is back in Chicago after racing well in 2017. In just his second go at the marathon distance, he finished 13th overall. This spring, he endured arguably the most brutal conditions in Boston Marathon history to prove not only his physical fitness, but also his mental toughness and he was rewarded with a fifth-place finish. He set his PR during his marathon debut at the 2017 Tokyo Marathon, running a steady and controlled pace to finish in 2:13:58. Following Tokyo, he took part in the Nike Breaking2 project as a pacer. Prior to moving to the marathon, he qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials in the 5000m and he was the U.S. 5K national champion in 2013.