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More or Less: Will Berlin See a Sub-two-hour Marathon?

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03/10/2014

Will Berlin See a Sub-two-hour Marathon?

BBC World Service - More or Less, Will Berlin See a Sub-two-hour Marathon?

Why Berlin is likely to be the place we eventually see a sub-two-hour marathon

Why is Berlin the place to break the marathon world record and how long will it be before we witness someone run it in less than two hours?

In Berlin last Sunday Kenyan runner Dennis Kimetto set a new world record for the mens marathon. He covered the 26.22 mile course in two hours, two minutes and 57 seconds breaking the previous mark by 26 seconds.

It is the fifth time in the last eight years that the record has been broken - each time in Berlin between 25th September and 30th September. The spate of world records has only increased speculation about if and when we might see the marathon run in less than two hours.

Wesley Stephenson and Ben Carter find out what is so special about the Berlin course and talk to the experts about the possibility of a sub-two-hour marathon.

The programme hears from Mark Milde, director of the Berlin marathon, Dr Ross Tucker, exercise physiologist at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa and Hugh Jones, winner of the 1982 London marathon.

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