Dj Vnyash
Marathon icon Eliud Kipchoge is well-known for his ability to make history and recover from challenges in his impressive two-decade running career. The two-time Olympic champion will strive to achieve what no athlete, male or female, has accomplished before—winning his third consecutive men’s marathon gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Kipchoge, who will turn 40 in November, is looking to celebrate a remarkable return to the city where he claimed his first and only world title 21 years ago. At that time, he was an 18-year-old newcomer who surprised retired Moroccan distance running great Hicham El Guerrouj and Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele by winning gold in the men’s 5,000m at the 2003 World Championships.
Regardless of the outcome, Kipchoge will make history when he competes in the men’s marathon on August 10, becoming the first and only Kenyan to participate in five Olympic Games. “Winning a third Olympic gold would be incredible. We have trained to perform well in France and give the fans an exciting race. It will be nice to have spectators after the absence of fans in Tokyo due to COVID-19,” Kipchoge said.
As he wrapped up his training in Kaptagat, Kipchoge mentioned his goal of being part of the first-ever Olympic marathon medal sweep. “My teammates are top-notch, energetic, and disciplined runners. I believe we will perform well and all make the podium,” he added.
He has strong support from fellow athletes Benson Kipruto and the rising marathon star Alexander Munyao, who both hold titles from the Tokyo and London Marathons, respectively. They are running in memory of world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum, who tragically died in a road accident in February. “Kiptum was a fun-loving and talented athlete. We talked a lot about making the Kenyan Olympic team while we traveled together from Chicago in 2023. We’ll aim for victory in Paris as a tribute to him,” Kipruto shared.
Kipchoge first represented Kenya at the 2004 Athens Olympics, winning bronze in the men’s 5,000m, and later earned silver in the same event at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. He faced a career setback when he didn’t qualify for the men’s 5,000m and 10,000m teams for the London 2012 Olympics, which led him to switch to road racing. In 2013, he made a strong debut in the full marathon in Hamburg, finishing in 2:04:05, marking his rise to international fame.
Since then, Kipchoge has achieved an unprecedented marathon record, with 15 victories (12 in World Marathon Majors) from 19 races. He has broken the world record twice in Berlin (2018 and 2022), winning that race an unmatched five times, surpassing the legendary Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie, who won four times.
Kipchoge was the first man to complete a marathon in under two hours, finishing in 1:59:40.2 at the specially organized INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna in 2019, and had come just five seconds short of the feat during the Nike Breaking2 event two years prior. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Kipchoge became the second Kenyan to win the men’s marathon gold, successfully defending his title at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
After overcoming challenges and months of preparation, Kipchoge is now set for what may be his final Olympic competition, facing off against Kenenisa and a strong field in Paris.
