Athletics-Shoe tech advances bring sub-two hour marathon ever closer

FILE PHOTO: Oct 8, 2023; Chicago, IL, USA; Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya celebrates after finishing in a world record time of 2:00:35 to win the Chicago Marathon at Grant Park. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - A century after the 1924 Paris Olympic men's marathon was won by Finn Albin Stenroos in two hours 41.22 minutes, next year's Games in the same city could feature the first official sub-two-hour time for the distance after 2023 saw more barriers smashed.

Kenya's double Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, who dipped under two hours with his unofficial Ineos challenge run in 2019, had dragged the record down to 2:01.09 in 2022.