Tassie runner’s role in a marathon milestone

TASMANIAN star Stewart McSweyn has played a role in the historic efforts from Eliud Kipchoge, who on Saturday night burst through the twohour barrier for a marathon.

The Olympic champion from Kenya became the first athlete to crack the magical mark when he ran 1hr 59min 40.2sec on a specially prepared course in a huge Vienna park.

McSweyn was among the posse of 41 pacemakers who assisted in the record-breaking feat, joining fellow Australian Jack Rayner and the likes of 1500m Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz and former world champion Bernard Lagat.

Because of the way the run was set up and paced, the International Association of Athletics Federations will not validate the time as a world record.

Kipchoge already holds the men’s world record for the distance with a time of 2hrs 01min 39sec, which he set in the flat Berlin marathon on September 16 last year.

“What an experience to be part of this incredible attempt, and to be surrounded by this calibre of athletes from around the world,” McSweyn said.

“There’s nothing better than to run with the world’s fastest.”

The running surface had been partly retarred and readied with other features such as a banked corner that could save time and avoid injury.

The course included a 4.3 kilometre-long straight alley, which the Kenyan ran up and down several times amid dry but foggy weather.

“I have tried and I am the happiest man to run under two hours in order to inspire many people, to tell people that no human is limited,” said Kipchoge, who atoned for a failed attempt two years ago in Monza, Italy.

“I am expecting more athletes all over the world to run under two hours after today.”