From the Land to the Skies, World Rallies Behind Champ Eliud Kipchoge

Eliud Kipchoge’s charted plane.

Historic time for Kenyan Olympic marathoner Eliud Kipchoge is in the vicinity as the World champion jets out for an attempt which will definitely make him the best athlete on earth.

The 34-year old long-distance runner has been preparing to beat his own record of 2:01:39 with a clear mission of covering the 42km race below 2 hours, and a date for the extraordinary moment has been set.

He skipped the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha and stayed back at his Eldoret home town to train in the high altitudes of Kenya’s Rift Valley, for his major party- an event which will be held in the Austrian city of Vienna.

With the help of chemical firm ENEOS, the Kaptel Secondary School alumnus has been training under a strict programme with a special team and under special conditions, including running behind a wind-resistance cutting wall.

It is now about four days to the tentative day of the race against time dubbed INEOS 1:59 Challenge, and on Monday, the Nandi District-born champion was, in a special way flown from Eldoret to Vienna. It was a chartered flight sponsored by one of Great Britain’s richest persons, Sir Jim Ratcliffe. It was a Sh2.4 billion-worth Gulfstream G280.

All Kenyans and everyone in the world has wished Eliud well in his attempt-an attempt some critics say won’t be counted as an official achievement going by its scientific nature.

But all in all, best wishes have come from all corners. From sportsmen. From businessmen, from politicians. From everyone.  Indeed, the whole earth has had a voice on this trip.

Perhaps what remained was the voice from the heavens, or rather the sky. And it happened on Monday when he was aboard the special chartered flight.

When everything was quiet and few onlookers were watching through the windows, with Eliud all alone with two pilots in the plane, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority sent an emotional message.

“Mr Eliud Kipchoge, on behalf of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, we would like to wish you the very best in the INEOS159 Challenge. Bring home that title. Thank you very much have a safe flight,” a voice as heard.

A quick check reveals that the Gulfstream, registration number M-INTY was registered in Britain on March 4, 2016, and its last sightings have been on the British Isles, the abode of Sir Ratcliffe, a running enthusiast.

It was expected to make a fueling stop at Luxor, Egypt, before proceeding to Vienna, where if everything goes as planned, Eliud will be on the track on October 12.

“The conditions are, for now, looking to be within an acceptable range for the first weekend of the window,” organizers said in a statement on Monday.

“The call made to fly Kipchoge from Kenya to Vienna was the first stage of a pre-agreed decision process by the INEOS 1:59 Performance team to select the best date for the INEOS 1:59 Challenge,” the organizers added.

“The next pivotal date is Wednesday, October 9, three days out from the targeted Challenge date. The Performance team will then decide if the date for the INEOS 1:59 Challenge will either be confirmed as the October 12 or delayed.

“If the green light is given the three-day countdown begins and Kipchoge will switch his nutrition and begin carb-loading. Kipchoge and his team can then make their final preparations and the world can start getting ready to watch the INEOS 1:59 Challenge live.

“Once the date is set, the exact start time for the INEOS 1:59 Challenge will be confirmed the day before. The start time will be between 5 am – 9 am local time (6 am – 10 am, Kenyan time).

“The decision for the optimal start time will take into account various factors including weather, nutrition and Kipchoge’s circadian rhythm,” INEOS added.

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