Granada: Home to the World’s Fastest Marathon

Stats from the World’s Fastest Marathon in Andalusia, Spain have revealed that Anthony Karinga of Kenya ran one of the fastest-ever 30K marathon splits on Sunday at the so-called World’s Fastest Marathon in Andalusia, Spain.

Karinga split 1:25:40 through 30K on Sunday’s effort, which is faster than Eliud Kipchoge’s 30K split of 1:26:45 from his world record run in Berlin one year ago. The split is also faster than the current 30,000m world record, which is held by Moses Mosop of Kenya at 1:26:47.4.

The World’s Fastest Marathon is a downhill course that starts in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and makes a sweeping, serpentine-like descent through the Sierra Nevada Mountains into the historic city of Granada. 

Humans are instinctively hardwired to innovate, optimize, question the impossible – to push the limit.

With a 100% downhill route (less than 1km is without decline), an altitude drop of 1,938 meters (6,358 feet) and a total average descent of 4.6%, the course is fast.

Because of the continual decent, times aren’t record-eligible, but race organizers wanted to created a platform for someone to potentially become the first person to run 42.2K in under two hours. Karinga wasn’t successful on Sunday, his 2:09:38 was mostly a solo effort and very impressive, but still 10 minutes from his goal of 1:59.

Kipchoge will also be attempting to run under two hours for the marathon. The INEOS 1:59 Challenge will take place in just under two and a half weeks.

The event has assembled the best-ever cast of pacers, identified the optimal location, tailored nutrition and gear to perfectly suit the runner’s needs and even left the date open-ended to ensure optimal weather conditions.

Kipchoge has compared his October sub-two hour attempt to being the first person to go to the moon. To strive this record-breaking time he has had to passed on world majors and the World Championships (which starts tomorrow) in anticipation of breaking this barrier. The event is set to go between October 12-20.

13 elite runners will take turns pacing Eliud Kipchoge to what the world hopes will be the first-ever sub-two-hour marathon next month in Vienna.

The event is scheduled to take place October 12, with a window until October 20 if weather conditions should present an obstacle.