World record holder and Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge will again attempt to smash the two-hour barrier in the London Marathon.
The 34-year-old won the marathon for a fourth time at the end of April, in the second fastest official time.
He currently holds the official world record for the marathon distance at 2:01:39.
In 2017, Kipchoge made an attempt to go under two hours for the 26.2 mile distance, and finished in 2:00:26.
This time was achieved using an intense team of pacemakers, which means it cannot be considered the official world record.
It will be the same for whatever time he achieves this October when he targets the two-hour barrier.
However, the attempt is less about securing the official record, and more about demonstrating that it is possible for a human to reach this time.
The news was announced on the 65th anniversary of Sir Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile, a feat which had previously been deemed impossible.
Fittingly the team supporting Kipchoge chose Oxford’s Bannister track to make the announcement as a tribute to the athletics legend who died last year.
'It will be history'
Kipchoge is being backed by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain’s richest man and the chairman of Ineos, the new backers of Team Sky.
The Olympian said: "This will surpass anything. I want to run under two hours. It will surpass everything because it will be history for the human family.
"I have a good team. A very great team. When a great team and great minds meet, they discuss positive ideas and I don't want to say, 'Can I do it or not?'
"My mind is that I am going to do it. So my heart and mind is on 1:59.
"The only thing we can change is the mentality. People start to think we can run under two hours. That is the only thing. It's my mentality already."
No exact date has been set, but October remains an option, with London a proposed venue and Kipchoge believes that, if he breaks the two-hour barrier, others will follow.
"Absolutely, the idea is to believe. So getting people to believe getting under two hours is possible," he said.
'I really want to leave a big legacy'
Discussing the lack of official approval from the IAAF and the record books, the Kenyan athlete seemed unfazed by the fact his attempt won’t be rubber-stamped.
He said: "It's about history. The IAAF can see how history will go down. It's a human thing, running. I really want to leave a big legacy and make history.
"Monza was a very successful event. Nothing went wrong. All things were in the right place at the right time.
"So, I ran two hours flat. That is what I am saying now. I enjoyed a rich and new experience from Monza which will come to London."
Ratcliffe believes Kipchoge is the best athlete on the planet.
He said: "Unquestionably, yeah. Like I said, the whole idea is going under two is superhuman. Unthinkable. It's possible.
"It's a fantastic challenge, it's quite historic. Eliud is the best marathon runner there has ever been and it will be very inspirational to get kids putting running shoes on."
