Coaches and legendary athletes: What it takes to prepare for a world record

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge celebrates after winning gold medal in men's marathon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, yesterday morning. [AP]

Setting a world record takes sweat, braving chilly weather conditions, staying miles away from close family members for months and giving entertainment joints a wide berth.

Those are some of the sacrifices athletes and their coaches make as they prepare to set world records, leaving marks that are at times not erased for years. Course records set by Kenyan world beaters have also stood for years, with several attempts to break them failing spectacularly.