Kipchoge, 34, covered the 26.2-mile (42.2km) course in the Austrian capital in 1 hour 59 minutes and 40 seconds, in what is being described as a landmark day for sport.

The achievement came at a specially-organized event by British chemicals giant Ineos at which all the conditions were carefully calibrated to give Kipchoge the best chance of success.

He was accompanied by an army of 41 rotating pace-setters, while there was a laser beamed onto the track in front of the Kenyan to show the pace he needed to keep.

Kipchoge was also wearing specially designed Nike ZoomX Vaporfly shoes in which the world’s five fastest marathon times have been set.

The Vienna course had been carefully selected as providing the optimum chance of making the mark, as was the timing of the attempt after input from meteorologists.  

The achievement will not be recognized as a world record because it was not made in open competition – meaning Kipchoge’s own mark of 2 hours 1 minute and 39 seconds is still the official time to beat – but the run in Vienna was still met with widespread amazement.