On October 12, 2019 the two hour marathon barrier was broken! I feel so grateful to have been witness to this extraordinary feat in my lifetime.
I am such a fan of Eliud Kipchoge. He personifies what it means to go after a goal with your whole heart; to take massive action until the goal is achieved. He is the most accomplished marathon runner of all time. And the most perfect combination of confidence and humbleness! You know when people ask that “who would you meet dead or alive” question? Eliud Kipchoge is definitely one of my three because I can’t just choose one!
Seventy years ago, no-one believed it was possible to run a mile in under 4 minutes. When Roger Bannister broke the mile record in May 1954, he paved the way for others. Since that day, over 1,400 other athletes have also run a sub-4min mile. 1,400! He made it possible then others stepped into that possibility.
I have no doubt that something similar will happen with the sub-2 hour marathon barrier; Eliud opened the door for others to follow him through. Just five years ago, no-one believed it was possible to run a marathon in under 2 hours. Two years ago, Eliud attempted it and came in at 2:00:25, just one second per mile off pace! He took the next two years to refine his efforts and never gave up on his self belief. After that attempt (and running the fastest marathon in history) he said “the world if now only 25 seconds away.” Eliud is an example of what the human body and mind are capable of. He stands for and believes undoubtedly that no human is limited. His 1:59:40 marathon is proof.
I love that he asks this: “who sets the limits anyway?”
What an incredibly important question to ask. So often we limit our potential based on our past, or more specifically our thoughts about our past. Similarly, we limit ourselves based on our thoughts of other people’s accomplishments. We allow ourselves to think things like: if they can’t do it, neither can I or if they can do it, so can I. Impossible is temporary. Each and every one of us has the potential to achieve far more than we have so far. The ones that do are the ones who are willing to keep fighting for that potential.
Eliud did something amazing on the second Saturday in October 2019. And that same weekend…
Jan Frodeno broke the IM World Championship course record + went under 8 hours,
Brigid Kosgei broke the women’s world marathon record,
Simone Biles became the most decorated gymnast of all time,
Coco Gauff became the youngest pro tennis champion in 15 years.
All in the same weekend!
What an amazing time to be alive; to watch greatness in others and believe in the greatness inside each of us!
Channel and chase your own greatness, one day at a time.
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