'Massage, laughter': Kipchoge trains ahead of Austria marathon

Prayers, bread and tea, massage.

These were part of the preparations for world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge on Sunday during his training in Eldoret, Kenya.

As he prepares to leave tonight for the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, Austria, Kipchoge was seen holding prayers before he could devour his bread buttered with boiled eggs and tea.

Holding a Nike-branded, cup, Kipchoge was seen laughing at a joke made by one of his colleagues at the camp before their training's kicked off.

Kipchoge in the pictures is seen holding his shoes after he was given a massage ahead of the training.

"The final hours in our training camp before leaving for a race always feel very special to me," Kipchoge said in a Tweet on Sunday evening.

"Thankful for all of my teammates and staff who helped get me here. Asante sana."

When he arrives in Austria, Kipchoge is expected to jog over the 4.3km Prater Hauptallee course.

Depending on weather conditions, Kipchoge is expected to attempt the sub two-hour marathon between October 12 and 20.

The race is scheduled to begin at 8 am in Vienna and 9am in Nairobi on October 12.

Early on Sunday, St Paul’s University Catholic Church held special prayers for the marathon Olympic champion.

Kipchoge was close to breaking the barrier in 2017 when he ran 2:00:25.

The October 12 event will be streamed live on the INEOS 1:59 YouTube channel with an interactive option on www.ineos159challenge.com.

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