No Kipchoge holiday — Matiang’i declares

Interior CS Fred Matiang’i on Saturday rubbished a notice going round that Monday, October 14, 2019, will be a public holiday to celebrate Eliud Kipchoge’s historic feat in Vienna.

Through a tweet seen by Ureport, Matiang’i said that the notice is fake and did not come from his office.

“NOTICE TO ALL KENYANS. The notice attached is FAKE. Kindly ignore,” he said.

According to the notice that had been shared earlier, Monday was to be a public holiday to mark the INEOS159 Challenge.

The challenge dubbed ‘INEOS 1:59 Challenge’ was staged in Vienna, Austria, with a total of 41 pacesetters from different counties flanking the world-marathon record holder.

Kipchoge crossed the finish line at 1:59:40.

“I am feeling good. It has taken 65 years for a human being to make history in sports; after Sir Roger Bannister,” said a delighted Kipchoge after the race.

“I have tried. I am the happiest man to run under 2 hours to inspire many people; to tell people that no human is limited, you can do it.

“I am expecting more athletes from all over the world to run under 2 hours,” he added.

Even though the pacesetters seemed off the pace in the initial stages of the race, the speed picked up after the hour mark, with Kipchoge on target by minus 10 seconds.

An electronic pacer car fitted with green laser lights ensured Kipchoge and the athletes kept the same pace over the stretch, with the pacesetters interchanging after intervals of 10 and 15 minutes.

Kipchoge is now the first man to complete a marathon in under two hours.