Eliud Kipchoge will start the INEOS 1:59 Challenge - his bid to become the first human to run a sub-two-hour marathon - on Vienna’s famous imperial bridge, the Reichsbrücke.

The Reichsbrücke, which is also the starting point for the annual Vienna City Marathon, will provide a stunning backdrop as Kipchoge gets his record-breaking attempt underway in October. It straddles the Danube River and connects the Leopoldstadt and Donaustadt districts of the city, offering a breath-taking view of the skyscrapers and the United Nations Office in Vienna.

The start will see Kipchoge run in the direction of the city centre with a view of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. After approximately 1.2KM he will reach the Ferris Wheel at the Praterstern roundabout where he will enter The Prater and begin four laps of the Hauptallee, the historic avenue that runs through the heart of the Viennese park.

Wolfgang Konrad, Vienna City Marathon CEO, who are working with INEOS as the local organiser of the event, said: “Beginning the INEOS 1:59 Challenge on the Reichsbrücke will give the event a start befitting of the epic scale of the task facing Eliud Kipchoge. As the start of the Vienna City Marathon, the Reichsbrücke is an iconic image for marathon running and a highly emotional place for hundreds of thousands of runners that have started here over the years. The view to the modern Vienna provides a stunning backdrop to the start of the challenge.”

Gerhard Wehr, Vienna City Marathon COO, added: “One cannot find a better place in Vienna to start this race. The Reichsbrücke is the best possible choice in visual and sporting terms. This area shows off the best of Vienna to the world and offers every requirement needed for a hopefully successful sub two-hour marathon.”

The INEOS 1:59 Challenge is scheduled to take place on Saturday 12th October with a period from the 13th to 20th October set aside as reserve days should weather conditions on the 12th not be favourable.

Spectators are welcome all along the course with the exception of the relatively short starting section on the Reichsbrücke, which will be reopened for traffic immediately after the runners set off.

The first chance to cheer on Eliud Kipchoge will be directly after the bridge in Lassallestraße.

Spectators are encouraged to come to The Prater where they will be able to watch the action on The Hauptallee between the Praterstern and Lusthaus roundabouts. The finish line is located directly on the Prater Hauptallee at height of the Ernst Happel Stadium between Meiereistraße and Marathonweg.

An exact start time for the INEOS 1:59 Challenge will be confirmed closer to the day of the event. A spectator's guide can be read here.