Brigid Kosgei and Eliud Kipchoge's marathon wins marred by controversy

As Kenyan athletes, Brigid Kosgei grabbed the first place at the Chicago marathon and Eliud Kipchoge broke the two-hour mark in the city of Vienna, their achievements were marred by a huge controversy that overshadowed their victory. According to reports, Eliud Kipchoge achieved the world record of 1:59:40 in conditions that favored him that included a pace car and a pair of Nike racing shoes that allegedly enhanced his performance.

Wins marred by controversy

Mike Joyner, a member of Mayo Clinic, stated that there were a lot of questions raised regarding the shoes. However, these "enhanced" shoes are out there but are hiding in plain sight and have helped the runners because they help in enhancing the recoil properties in the leg. Also, a lot of runners have sought the help of IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) to investigate the Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4 matter an check if they helped the Kenyan athletes in any way.

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A world record

It was on October 13 that Kenyan athlete, Kosgei crushed Paula Radcliffe's world record and became the fastest lady to run in the Chicago Marathon. While Kipchoge became the first man to cover 26.2 miles inside two hours, clocking 1:59:40 in Vienna. In contrast to Kipchoge's performance, Kosgei's record was set in an official race on a professional course.

Kipchoge won the gold medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics and also is a world record marathon holder in the Berlin marathon in 2018. The world record set was clocked in at 2:01:39.

Read: Eliud Kipchoge: Five Things To Know About Legendary Marathon Runner

"Rabbit"

A pacemaker who is also called a "rabbit" has the job of running in the first section of a long-distance running event such as a marathon to set a good timing and avoid tactical racing. Pacemakers are often utilised by the race organisers for the world record attempts with set guidelines for lap times. A few competitors have become professional pacemakers. A competitor who picks the strategy of leading in order so as to win is known as a front runner instead of a pacemaker.

The sub-two-hour long-running event race time was a part of the INEOS 1:59, a special speed challenge put on by the British chemical organisation. To be a records-qualified course, the race must adhere to much stricter guidelines around pace-setting, its plan, and even beverages.

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(With inputs from agencies)