Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge has made history by becoming the first athlete to run a marathon in under two hours.

The 34-year-old, who has won the London Marathon four times and is also an Olympic champion, finished in one hour 59 minutes and 40.2 seconds. This is not considered a world record because it is not an open competition, but it was nonetheless a moment for the ages.

As he kept up the speed with the pacemakers through the 42 kilometres, expectation grew among the crowd in Vienna, but the most exhilarating moment was the last kilometre. The pacemakers were celebrating in anticipation well before the finish, and astonishingly the Kenyan accelerated and even gave a thumbs up to the crowd.

After making history, he said: "After Roger Bannister in 1954 [with the four-minute mile], it took another 65 years to create history. I am the first man to run under two hours and I want to inspire many people, to say that no human is limited.