"Never doubted his ability": Kipchoge's family celebrates

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SHOWS: NANDI, KENYA (OCTOBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. PEOPLE GATHERED AROUND A TELEVISION WATCHING ELIUD KIPCHOGE'S MARATHON IN HIS MOTHER'S LIVING ROOM

2. KIPCHOGE'S MOTHER JANET ROTICH WATCHING THE MARATHON

VIENNA, AUSTRIA (OCTOBER 12, 2019) (SUNSET AND VINE / INEOS - Broadcasters: NO USE UNITED STATES AND CARIBBEAN NATIONS. NO RESALES. NO USE 24 HOURS AFTER RECORD ATTEMPT. STRICTLY NO USE ON SOCIAL MEDIA INCLUDING YOUTUBE Digital: NO USE UNITED STATES AND CARIBBEAN NATIONS. NO RESALES. NO USE 24 HOURS AFTER RECORD ATTEMPT. STRICTLY NO USE ON SOCIAL MEDIA INCLUDING YOUTUBE)

3. VARIOUS OF KIPCHOGE FINISHING THE RACE

NANDI, KENYA (OCTOBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

4. PEOPLE IN ROTICH'S HOUSE ERUPT IN CELEBRATION

5. VARIOUS OF ROTICH AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS SINGING AND DANCING WHILE HOLDING KIPCHOGE'S TROPHIES

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) WILSON SUGUT, KIPCHOGE'S OLDER BROTHER, SAYING:

"Our family is singing because we are very happy, we are very proud of him. We were expecting him to break that record today and as he was running I was very happy, very very much happy until my tears fell down. I am much very happy."

7. MORE OF FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS SINGING

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) WILSON SUGUT, KIPCHOGE'S OLDER BROTHER, SAYING:

"I had no doubt, he had trained very well, he had power and he was in shape. I was also very pleased with those who ran beside him, the pace-setters worked very well. The weather was also good."

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) EUNICE JERUTO, KIPCHOGE'S SISTER, SAYING:

"I am very happy in my heart, even my mother has really cried in joy. She is very happy."

10. MORE OF SINGING

STORY: Janet Rotich, the mother of Eliud Kipchoge, led family celebrations on Saturday (October 12) after her son made athletics history when he became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours.

Rotich and family members gathered around a television screen at her home in Nandi district in Kenya where the 34-year-old Olympic champion was born.

The house erupted in cheers when Kipchoge, guided by green laser beams shone onto the road and helped by 41 world class athletes choreographed into rotating teams of pacemakers, smashed the barrier by 20 seconds, finishing in one hour 59.40 minutes.

"'We were expecting him to do it, we were so much happy. Never doubted his ability as he in good form," said Kipchoge's older brother, Wilson Sugut.

It was regarded as the biggest achievement in athletics since Briton Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile in 1954 and was likened by Kipchoge himself to landing on the moon.

Rotich told local media she can't wait for her son to come home from Vienna where his wife Grace and children celebrated with him when he crossed the finish line.

Although the IAAF did not recognise the run, its president, Sebastian Coe, had said he was in favour of such events and argued that it was not a huge issue if they were not recognised by the sport's governing body.

(Production: Daniel Korir, Jackson Njehia)