Kipchoge is the greatest marathoner of all time.

There are some athletes whose feats may never be topped. Think Alex Honnold free-climbing up the 3,000-foot face of Yosemite’s El Capitan. No ropes. Will any climber ever be able to duplicate or top that? Doubtful. The same holds true for marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge.

Kipchoge, cementing his legacy as the greatest marathoner of all time, broke his own world record of 2:01:39 on September 25 at the BMW Berlin Marathon, lopping 30 seconds off it for a dazzling 2:01:09. Going into the marathon, Kipchoge had several factors in his favor. For starters, the Berlin Marathon is ranked number one in the world as the fastest certified marathon course. Number two was the conditions. Temperatures hovered in the low 50s and overcast, cool enough for Kipchoge to wear running sleeves. Ideal marathon record conditions.

One factor you might think is not in his favor: age. Think again. Kipchoge, 37, has always held far greater stock in the mental aspect of running, embracing a fearless approach. In Berlin, he defied father time, posting unbelievable splits along the way. Let’s take a look at those.

He blitzed through the first 5K in 14:14 and hit the 10K mark in 28:22. He continued to hit remarkably even spits, passing through the second 10K in an identical 28:22. Third and fourth 10K splits were 28:56 and 29:13. Experts agree that his ability to run such a metronomic-like pace is part of Kipchoge’s magic.

A little perspective here: His 4:37-per-mile-pace breaks down to 104 back-to-back 400-meter repeats at 69 seconds each without rest intervals. Try running even a couple of those.

Another interesting perspective on Kipchoge’s accomplishment is fellow Kenyan Mark Korir’s second place finish in 2:05:58. Since when did a 2:05 marathon seem slow? Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa won the women’s race, posting a course record of 2:15:37, an 18-minute PR for her.

Reinforcing Kipchoge’s belief that one’s mind can make a huge difference is his statement following the race. “My legs and my body still feel young,” he told news station NPR. “But the most important thing is my mind, and that also feels fresh and young.”

Note: Austin’s Cynthia Holderer slashed nearly 10 minutes off of her marathon PR in Berlin, clocking a speedy 2:46:29.

Upcoming Races: Saturday, October 8 at 8:00 a.m., the Good Life Taylor 5K in downtown Taylor. Saturday, October 8 at 9:00 a.m., Hope Alliance Survive. Thrive. Prevent 5K at the Cypress Pavilion (Randy Morrow Trail) in Georgetown. Saturday, October 15 at 7:00 a.m. the Hootenanny on the Hill 10K/5K/3K/1K at the Plum Creek Community Center in Kyle.