The reigning world Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge has announced plans for a sub two minutes record in October marathon.
The 34-year-old Olympic champion has gained the trust of Jim Ratcliffe, a billionaire in England who has come out to sponsor his aspirations.
“If we have it in London it would need to be an iconic location that fulfils the performance criteria that’s flat and has a good surface,” Ratcliffe said after posing with Kipchoge in front of a clock that read “1:59.00.”
Ratcliffe founded chemicals group INEOS and is estimated by London-based Sunday Times Rich List to be worth 21 billion pounds ($28 billion) in 2019.
Ratcliffe spent the London Marathon earlier this month in the pace car watching Kipchoge win the event for a record fourth time.
Who is Sir Ratcliffe and his interest in Kipchoge?
He started from the bottom
Ratcliffe was born in Failsworth, Lancanshire. He studied chemical engineering and got his first job at oil company Esso.
He started making his fortune by mortgaging his house in 1992 to finance a buyout of a BP chemicals business and formed INEOS in 1998.
Today his fortune is valued at 21 billion pounds and in May 2018 he was named the richest person in the UK.
He supports Manchester United
On rumours he is interested in buying Chelsea, he said:
“I’d never say no. But I don’t know where those conversations will finish up. Look, I am a big Manchester United fan. In fact, I am a tortured Man United fan at the moment, to be honest.”
He already owns a football team
Ratcliff’s company INEOS owns Swiss football team FC Lausanne Sport, who currently play in the Swiss Challenge League, Switzerland’s second tier.
He purchased the team in 2017, and his first signing was Zinedine Zidane’s son, midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
He also owns British fashion brand Belstaff, and is planning to produce a successor to Land Rover’s discontinued off-roader Defender.