Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge and the endless flame of inspiration

In his first and final New York Marathon appearance as a professional, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge finished 17th in 2 hours, 14 minutes, 36 seconds. With this achievement, the 40-year-old has completed the prestigious World Marathon Majors, including Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, Sydney, and now New York.

Kipchoge is not the only person to have completed all seven major marathon races, but he is the only one to have a dream collection of 11 victories, including four in London (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019), five in Berlin (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023), one in Chicago (2014) and one in Tokyo (2021), while also breaking course records at three races in London, Berlin and Tokyo.

Despite his recent dip in form, Kipchoge’s place in marathon history is assured. Since 2013, he has won 11 of his first 12 marathons. His only defeat during that time was a second-place finish to Wilson Kipsang, who was subsequently banned from doping. Kipchoge’s achievements are almost unparalleled, with two Olympic gold medals (2016, 2020), two world records, running a marathon under 2 hours regardless of conditions, and 12 World Marathon Major victories.

Throughout his career, Kipchoge has been not only a great athlete but also a great ambassador for running. His belief in the ability of one run to change lives is contagious. In an age of image and influence, Kipchoge leads by example, nurturing the next generation of Kenyan athletes and famously taking turns cleaning the toilets at the team’s training camp.

Launch of global marathon project

After retiring from his peak career, Kipchoge will undertake the ambitious project “World Tour”, running 7 marathons on 7 continents within 2 years, to raise funds for education and environmental protection programs.

“For the past 22 years, my life has been a constant journey of pushing the limits,” Kipchoge said. “My life has revolved around winning, breaking records, aiming for the best results in the world on every track. Now, I am not retiring, just moving on to a new goal.”

His management said the project would both see Kipchoge compete globally and continue to compete at a professional level. “The project aims to inspire the running world and raise funds for the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation,” the statement said.

Speaking to Olympics.com, Kipchoge expressed his excitement for the extreme conditions, including a marathon in Antarctica: “I want to continue to challenge myself to run at my best, but also to inspire, to give back and to remind people that there are no limits to humanity,” the 40-year-old legend said.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/huyen-thoai-marathon-eliud-kipchoge-va-ngon-lua-cam-hung-bat-tan-post1793058.tpo