We live within the confines of our everyday. The routines we feel safe in, the familiar annoyances of our crowded train, the habitual time we take our lunch break.  We feel comfortable with these things because they are predictable; but sometimes, something holds our attention for a reason that moves us so deeply it makes us look up and see things differently.  This weekend, the weekend I witnessed the fastest ever marathon was one of those moments.

When Nike set out to break the 2 hour marathon, let’s be clear, it wasn’t a feat to be taken lightly.  It is to put it bluntly, insane.  Imagine running 100m in 17 seconds – which would almost be a flat out sprint for you or I – for 26 miles.  That’s what Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge, Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa and Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadese were hand selected to attempt at 4.45am, on Saturday 6 May 2017, at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza race track, Italy in Breaking2.

The world was watching. But many argued that it actually wasn’t possible. The margin the athletes had to gain on the previous record, was by far the largest jump in the last 50 years.  Why would Nike back something that was so uncertain?  It might seem easy to snub the sportswear giant for throwing money at a marketing campaign. But don’t.  Anyone who has ever run a marathon, or even a first 5k without stopping, knows. Running is hard. Digging from the deepest parts of ourselves to achieve the things we often doubt we have the mental, physical or emotional strength to push through, is an incredibly unpredictable phenomenon. But striving to break these barriers, is what makes us human.

Nike gets it.  Its founders live and breathe running and its passion and community is evident.  I’ve seen it first hand.  Their athletes, their employees, their Nike Run Club community pacers, they come together to help each other achieve goals.  They don’t believe in doing things by halves, and if they were going to attempt this crazy feat, they were going to do it properly.  From narrowing down 80 potential athletes to the 3 insane humans that saw the start line, not a beat was missed. Athletes were diligently selected based on oxygen efficiency, energy conservation, and speed; a shoe was built to fly; nutrition cooked up to sustain crazy speeds; a cool oxygenated climate found; and a track that was already used to hair raising speeds.  Kipchoge stepped up to the line with a visible determination that saw him 25 seconds off the dream of 1:59:59; but he firmly earned his place in history, smashing the previous world record by 2.5 minutes.

So, why does any of it matter? I was lucky enough to live and breathe the sub 2 marathon attempt (albeit for the last 2 days of a 2 year project), and what I came away with was something much greater than witnessing the fastest ever marathon.  I spent the weekend with runners from all over the world, some super fast, others slow and steady, but all with a story of how running helped them to keep going, when it felt like they weren’t strong enough to carry on.

It didn’t matter that Breaking2 wasn’t achieved; what mattered was a shift in perspective, even just a fraction, towards a Kipchoge mindset. Being inspired by a team who had the courage to go out and do something, even with a chance of failure.  To keep going in the face of doubters, of adversity, of mental barriers, of that little voice in your head, telling you it’s not going to happen.

I love to run. It’s a part of who I am. It gave me confidence at the age of 9, it taught me teamwork at age 15, it gave me purpose at age 21, and at 25 it has shown me that the only barriers we face, are the ones we have the power within ourselves to break down.

Thank you to Nike and Airbnb for #Nightat #Breaking2.

“The world is just 25 seconds away” – Eluid Kipchoge.
Video: “Breaking 2 is impossible”

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