Eliud Kipchoge, the legendary Kenyan marathon runner, is preparing for what could be his ultimate challenge at the 2024 Paris Olympics. At 39, Kipchoge aims to become the first person to win the Olympic marathon three times consecutively, surpassing the achievements of Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila and Germany’s Waldemar Cierpinski.
Kipchoge’s journey began humbly in the early 2000s when his primary goal was simply to travel to Europe. His breakthrough came in Paris in 2003, where he won the 5,000 meters world championship at just 18, beating renowned athletes Hicham El Gerrouj and Kenenisa Bekele. Despite this early success on the track, Kipchoge truly found his calling on the road after failing to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.
Since transitioning to marathons, Kipchoge has twice broken the world record, most recently clocking 2:01:09 in Berlin in 2022. He is also the only person to have run a marathon in under two hours, achieving this feat in a specially organized event in Vienna in 2019. With 16 victories out of 20 official marathons since 2013, including five wins in Berlin and four in London, his dominance is unparalleled.
Kipchoge’s disciplined lifestyle, rooted in his upbringing in Kenya’s Rift Valley, has been pivotal to his success. Raised by his mother in Kapsisiywa, he began running out of necessity rather than ambition. His turning point came in 2001 when he sought training advice from his neighbor, Olympic silver medalist Patrick Sang, who became his lifelong coach and mentor.
Living a spartan lifestyle, Kipchoge spends nine months a year at an elite training camp in Kaptagat, focusing entirely on his training. Despite his significant earnings from victories and endorsements with major brands like Nike, INEOS, and Isuzu, he maintains a humble existence, visiting his family in Eldoret on weekends.
Recently, Kipchoge faced challenges, including a disappointing finish in the 2023 Boston Marathon and 10th place in Tokyo earlier this year. Additionally, he endured online harassment and death threats following the tragic death of fellow Kenyan marathoner Kelvin Kiptum. Despite these setbacks, Kipchoge remains resilient, viewing these experiences as part of his marathon journey.
With the Paris Olympics on the horizon, Kipchoge’s coach, Patrick Sang, highlights the historical significance of his career. “That’s his dream, to make history, to win a third Olympic title,” Sang said, emphasizing Kipchoge’s remarkable two-decade dominance in the sport.
