Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe is funding Eliud Kipchoge’s bid to run the marathon in under two hours

IT’S the most superhuman record in sport – and Britain’s wealthiest man is backing one of the world’s top runners to smash it.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe — who is worth £10billion — is funding Eliud Kipchoge’s bid to run a marathon in under two hours on Saturday morning.

No one has ever completed the 26 miles in such lightning speed but Sir Jim believes the Kenyan — who holds the current world record of two hours, one minute, 39 seconds — is on course to do so.

The Olympic champ’s previous tilt at a sub-two-hour time saw him miss the target by just 26 seconds, on a deserted F1 circuit in Monza, Italy, in 2017.

By contrast, Kipchoge’s new attempt this autumn will be in front of a huge audience roaring their support.

The Kenyan said: "I'm running to make history.

"I'm running to show that there are no limits, no human is limited."

The Ineos boss, whose chemicals firm has taken over Tour de France champ Geraint Thomas’s cycling team, said earlier this year: “If Eliud has got a ­fantastic crowd cheering him on, it’s going to make a difference — and we don’t need a lot of difference to make up 26 seconds.”

Kipchoge, 34, set his current world-record time at last year’s Berlin Marathon.

His faster time of two hours, 25 seconds set in Italy is not recognised by the IAAF, the sport’s governing body, because other runners travelled alongside Kipchoge to help him gauge his speed and drinks were delivered by scooter to ensure he was hydrated at all times.

If successful, then Kipchoge’s second attempt to go under two hours would also be unofficial because he will have had the same kind of ­support.

But Kipchoge added: "The course is extremely good - I feel more prepared and I am confident.

"It's not about thinking, 'Am I going to do it?' - I have tried it the first time and the second time, I will do it."

The record attempt is set to be held in London. If it succeeds, Kipchoge will join a pantheon of sporting greats who have achieved a feat many thought beyond human capability.

In 1954, Brit Sir Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in under four minutes. He clocked three minutes, 59.4 seconds at an athletics event in Oxford.

The ten-second barrier for the 100 metres was broken by US ­runner Jim Hines at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico.

Here, we look at how marathon times have got faster since the early 20th century — and what Kipchoge will need to do if he is to become the first sub-two-hour man.