fortius running club at ineos 1:59

Connor and fellow Fortius runner Mirjana recently met up with 120,000 other spectators along Prater Park in Vienna to watch Eliud Kipchoge rip through a marathon in 1:59:40. We managed to snag a great spot near the finish line in amongst a big contingent of very excited Kenyans. Right next to where the Austrian hosts kept the crowd and runners amped by blasting Vanessa Amorssi tunes.
 
But in every other aspect the whole event was very slick and there wasn't a lot left to chance. The pacing convoy were as steady as a metronome and swapped in and out and just past where we were standing. The course was pancake flat and had been resealed in places and the morning was about 10°C and completely still (wearing shorts wasn't my best decision). And the crowd went nuts every time Eliud flew past. If the whole track was as loud as our little spot then it must have been a deafening run. It was great to see a crowd like that getting behind a running event with so much enthusiasm.
 
Connor went back later in the day for a run along the course – just a smidge off the 2:50 pace set that morning but only because he needed to save the legs for a marathon the next week. 😉