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Published: Mar 07, 2017 6:01 PM EST.

by Brian DalekPublished: Mar 07, 2017 6:01 PM EST

Three of the world’s best runners—Eliud Kipchoge, Lelisa Desisa, and Zersenay Tadese—put months of training and testing to work in a Races - Places Other Hearst Subscriptions Nike’s Breaking2 project, nbsp;crossed the finish line, well under the pre-event goal of 60:00.

Chris Lawrence

Before the start of their sub-two test run, the stars of the project and their army of pacers warm up.

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Many points of data were to be collected during the run. From ingested core-temperature pills to taped-on muscle oxygen and skin-temperature sensors, Nike scientists were looking to gather as much information from the athletes as possible.

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The runners, outfitted with shoes designed specifically for this quest, were weighed before the run.

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And they’re off. From left, Lesisa Desisa, Zersenay Tadese, and Eliud Kipchoge begin their trial run.

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Chris Lawrence

Contributing editor Alex Hutchinson’s Nike’s Sub-2-Hour Marathon Attempt Will Be Run on Formula One Oval: “The runners followed a specially outfitted Tesla, driven by a Formula One test driver, with a clock on the back showing elapsed time, splits, and projected finish time.”

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Among other things, Tuesday’s test run was a chance to work on the pacing and drafting strategy. Pacers subbed in and out during the run, and the formation often changed shape—and sometimes broke down.

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The clock showed a half marathon time of 59:17 when Eliud Kipchoge crossed the finish line, well under the pre-event goal of 60:00.

Chris Lawrence

Zersenay Tadese, who holds the world record in the half marathon with a time of 58:23, finished the time trial behind Kipchoge in 59:41.

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Lelisa Desisa, having fallen off pace less than halfway through, finished in 62:55.

Brian Dalek

Director of Content Operations Runner’s World & Bicycling

Brian has spent more than a decade focused on creating compelling news, health, and fitness content—with a particular interest on enthusiast activities like running and cycling. He’s coordinated coverage of major events like the Paris Olympics, Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, and Tour de France, with an eye toward both the professional race and the engaging stories readers love.

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