Kipchoge, Mayer Make History On Same Day

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

In a matter of hours on a Sunday in mid-September, two world records fell in Europe and the limits of human performance were nudged a bit further.

Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya won the BMW Berlin Marathon in 2 hours, 1 minute and 39 seconds in one of the greatest feats in the history of distance running. 

Running in perfect, windless condition, Kipchoge took 78 seconds off the existing official world record. Kipchoge, 33, is the reigning Olympic champion. 

Kevin Mayer of France broke Ashton Eaton's world record in the decathlon with 9,126 points at the DecaStar event in Talence, France. Mayer topped Eaton's record by an astonishing 81 points. 

After bombing out at the European Championships because of a no-height in the high jump, Mayer hit a huge mark in the javelin on Sunday of 235-10 (71.90m) on the ninth event to put himself well ahead of the world-record pace.

The newest "World's Greatest Athlete," Mayer, 26, finished behind Eaton at the Rio Games in 2016, taking silver.