September 28, 2041

(Berlin)

Somalia's Abdi Jimale Bani became the first man in history to run the standard marathon distance in under two hours this morning, recording a stunning new world record of 1:59:55 at the Berlin Marathon. Jimale Bani, whose previous best had been 2:01:13, ran with a large pack early in the race, but seized the lead shortly after passing halfway in 59:49. Accompanied by his two virtual pacesetters, Jimale Bani opened up a lead that grew with every passing kilometer and it seemed ever more certain that he would better David Kipsang's old world record of 2:00:08; the only question was whether he would be inside the two-hour mark. When he crossed the line, the Somali-born and American-trained runner went to his knees and kissed the ground, then rose with a huge smile on his face and waved to the crowd.

In addition to the distinction of being history's first two-hour man, when he crossed the line Jimale Bani became perhaps the wealthiest distance runner in the world. In addition to his first-place prize money of $1,000,000 (USD), Jimale Bani received the course record bonus of $500,000 from race organizers. He also earned the $2.5 million "two-hour challenge" prize from the World Marathon Association.

Around the world, marathon fans celebrated the news that the barrier had finally been broken. There had been speculation that the record might fall in Berlin, but the man considered most likely to do it, 2036 and 2040 Olympic 10,000m Champion and half-marathon world record holder Dareje Tale of Ethiopia, retired from the race after only 15 kilometers with a leg injury that has plagued him in recent months.

The two-hour marathon has long been considered an achievement of supreme significance in long distance running. Perhaps no barrier has seized the imagination of the Athletics World since Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile 85 years ago. In the early part of this century, the marathon record seemed under constant assault and was lowered nearly a dozen times in fifteen years. But progress seemed to come to a halt after Kenya's Paul Kimeli Koech ran 2:01:57 in 2019, a time that would not be bettered for another decade.

In the early 2030's, a new generation of marathoners began lowering the record again. Some credit new medical breakthroughs in understanding how the body repairs tissue damage after extreme physical exertion, allowing athletes to train at a higher level without needing as much recovery. Others credit technological advances in footwear and the construction of racing surfaces, such as those used in the streets of Berlin, that return more energy to runners' legs.

But perhaps the single most important reason that a human being has finally run under two hours for 26.2 miles is that Abdi Jimale Bani believed it was possible. "I knew that one day, someone would run under two hours," Jimale Bani said after his historic race. "I knew that there is no limit to what we can do, how fast we can run. Today I decided to not thing about what was impossible, but about how anything is possible, and now I am so happy."