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Runner splits 30K ahead of Kipchoge’s world record pace in Spanish marathon

Stats from the World's Fastest Marathon in Andalucia, Spain

Anthony Karinga of Kenya ran one of the fastest-ever 30K marathon splits on Sunday at the so-called World’s Fastest Marathon in Andalucia, Spain. Karinga split 1:25:40 through 30K in today’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.

RELATED: Kipchoge’s world-record-setting Berlin marathon deconstructed

The World’s Fastest Marathon is a downhill course that starts in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and runs down a paved road into the historic city of Granada. This course is both point-to-point and net downhill, so isn’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.

RELATED: INEOS 1:59 names Marius Kipserem, Rotterdam champion, as pacemaker

We’re under three weeks away from the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, where Kipchoge will attempt to run under two hours for the marathon. 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.

Berlin Marathon
Photo: NN Running Team/Twitter

Kipchoge’s compared his October sub-two hour attempt to being the first person to go to the moon. He’s passed on world majors and the World Championships in hopes of breaking this barrier. The event is set to go between October 12-20 and Canadian Running will have all of the details leading up and coverage during.

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