Breaking2 marathon attempt set for early May

LONDON (Reuters) - Nike's "Breaking2" attempt at the first sub-two hour marathon will take place over the first weekend in May at the motor racing circuit of Monza in northern Italy, but the event will be closed to the public, organisers said on Tuesday.

(Reuters)

The American sportswear giant revealed last month that Monza would be the venue having studied years of climatic conditions and now the date "window" is set, subject to weather conditions.

Kenyan Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, Ethiopia's Leslisa Desisa and Eritrea's Zersenay Tadese will spearhead the bid to shave almost three minutes off the current world record of two hours, two minutes, 57 seconds, set by Dennis Kimetto in Berlin in 2014.

The trio, shielded by a group of pacemakers and with a series of other technical aids, will run 17 and a bit laps of a 2.4km loop that takes in part of one of the most famous circuits in motor racing.

The attempt will be closed to the public but will be streamed live on the internet.

(Editing by: Toby Davis)