On this day one year ago, Eliud Kipchoge made history, becoming the first man on the planet to run a sub-two-hour marathon. To celebrate, we look back at some of the best photos from the day:
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ALEX HALADA//Getty Images
Eliud Kipchoge stands on the start line in Vienna
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ALEX HALADA//Getty Images
Kipchoge had a team of 41 pacers
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YASUYOSHI CHIBA//Getty Images
The streets in Kenya were filled with supporters, watching Kipchoge's attempt on screens
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ALEX HALADA//Getty Images
A car drove in front of the runners, setting the pace with laser beams
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HERBERT NEUBAUER//Getty Images
Kipchoge held a sub-4:34 pace for the 26.2 miles.
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NurPhoto//Getty Images
The course chosen for the event was the Prater park in Vienna, which was selected after a worldwide search that used software to take into account factors like temperature, humidity, wind speed, and elevation to find locations with ideal racing parameters.
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NurPhoto//Getty Images
The race started with fog and mist in Vienna, with temperatures in the high 40s and humidity at 90 percent—a bit above the “ideal” of 80 percent heading into it.
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ALEX HALADA//Getty Images
Kipchoge was wearing a prototype of the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next%, immediately after the race, there was calls for the shoes to be banned...
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ALEX HALADA//Getty Images
He hit the 21K mark in 59:35, giving him some breathing room for reaching the two-hour goal
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HERBERT NEUBAUER//Getty Images
Cementing his legacy by running 26.2 miles faster than anybody in history, Kipchoge crossed the line in a time of 1:59:40.
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ALEX HALADA//Getty Images
Kipchoge celebrates with his wife, Grace.
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ALEX HALADA//Getty Images
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ALEX HALADA//Getty Images
Kipchoge being carried by his team of pace makers
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YASUYOSHI CHIBA//Getty Images
Spectators celebrating Kipchoge's victory in Nairobi
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HERBERT NEUBAUER//Getty Images
Kipchoge's race did not count as an official world record because standard competition rules for pacing and fluids weren’t followed.
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ALEX HALADA//Getty Images
Kipchoge often equated breaking two hours in the marathon to when man first walked on the moon. He broke barriers that humans thought were impossible.
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