Can elite Africans run sub-2 marathon?

This weekend three elite African athletes will attempt to run the first sub-two hour marathon.

The Breaking2 project by US sportswear giant Nike has split opinion in athletics.

The "purists" claim benefits bestowed on the runners, including revolutionary shoes, pacemakers and a non-traditional course, mean it is a marketing gimmick.

Nike and others, however, insist such projects show a combination of talent, training and technology can produce astounding results.

Kenyan Dennis Kimetto set the current record of two hours, two minutes, 57 seconds in Berlin in 2014, which is about four minutes faster than it was in 1988.

In 2014 Runners World magazine published an analysis of more than 10000 top marathon performances over 50 years that predicted a sub-two would not happen until 2075.

Three athletes have been chosen to run. Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, 32, last year's Olympic marathon gold medallist and former 5000m world champion, whose best of 2:03:05 is the third-fastest in history.

Eritrean Zersenay Tadese, the half-marathon world record holder with 58:23 minutes has been identified as having the potential to go much faster. Also running is Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa, 26, who has a marathon best of 2:04.45.

The 200g Zoom Vaporfly Elite shoe is central to the project. Nike says the curved carbon insert means runners require 4% less energy to go at the same speed in comparison with their previous best shoe.

The three runners will also be sheltered throughout by a group of pacemakers who will ensure they maintain the demanded pace.

The sub-two attempt will be run on about 17 laps of a 2.4km loop that forms part of the Monza F1 track in northern Italy.

Is anyone else chasing sub-two? The last four world record holders - Kimetto, Wilson Kipsang, Patrick Makau and Haile Gebrselassie - have been sponsored by Nike's rival adidas which is running its own 'Sub2' project.