Top runners are attempting a 2-hour marathon. Nike is helping with this tremendous sports achievement.
Eliud Kipchoge, a top marathon runner, describes the scope of this achievement, “I will describe it in one sentence. Running under two hours will mean no human has limitations. So I am running on Saturday to prove to any human in this universe that there are no limitations. We need to push and stretch beyond our thinking.”
The run won’t be considered an official world record. Nike staff are modifying too many rules to bring the 2-hour time within reach.
Tony Bignell, Nike Vice President Innovation Footwear, talked about some of the modifications, “We know the turns, by turning it gives you more energy wasted, so the bigger the ovals and the arcs makes you more effective and efficient. Of course it needs to be fairly flat and it needs to be a really clear surface so there were many options considered but the Monza track just felt like it had the best of all of those worlds combined together.”
