Eliud Kipchoge: The World's Greatest Marathon Runner

Eliud Kipchoge, Kenyan long-distance runner, competes in the marathon and previously participated in the 5000-meter race. Widely regarded as the best marathon runner in the world, he won the marathon at the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. At the 2018 Berlin Marathon, he set the world record in the marathon with a time of 2:01:39. It is not surprising at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Kipchoge was heavily favored to win the event. An hour before the marathon started, the Kenyan gathered bottles of water and ice from tables and gave them to his competitors. Kipchoge was smiling and fist-bumping with Brazilian runner Daniel Do Nascimento during one of the most memorable scenes from the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Ethiopian runners Shura Kitata and Lelisa Desisa and Kenya runner Amos Kipruto were Kipchoge’s biggest competitors. Shura Kitata won the 2020 London marathon. Stephen Kiprotich finished sixth behind Kipchoge in the NN Mission Marathon in the Netherlands in 2020 With about 7.45 miles to go, Kipchoge pulled away from the pack to cross the finish line in two hours, eight minutes, and 38 seconds, more than a minute ahead of Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands in second and Belgium's Bashir Abdi in third. After winning the event on Sunday, the 36-year-old Kenyan became the third man to successfully defend an Olympic marathon title.

After Kenyan runner Peres Jepchirchir's gold in the women's marathon event the day before, Kipchoge's triumph completed Kenya's marathon double. He joined Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia and Waldemar Cierpinski of East Germany as repeat Olympic marathon champion. Kipchoge explained, "I wanted to create a gap (between the other runners) to show the world that this is a wonderful race and wanted to demonstrate there is hope for the future."

The marathons and race-walking events were transferred 500 miles north of Tokyo to Sapporo to avoid the heat of Tokyo. Eliud Kipchoge said he wanted to test his fitness and evaluate how he was "feeling" after winning the men's Olympic marathon in Tokyo. Despite the difficult circumstances, Kipchoge, the world record holder, appeared at ease throughout the entire race.

Kipchoge's second marathon gold medal solidifies his reputation as the best runner over 26.2 miles. This victory adds to a set of accomplishments that includes the world record of 2:01:39 set in 2018 and the first-ever sub-two-hour marathon race, as part of the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in 2019. Kipchoge has won 13 of 15 significant marathons. His training is the reason for his success. It consists primarily of running, with some track and core exercises thrown in for good measure.

According to the marathon guidebook, Kipchoge works out 5-6 days a week and does a long run (18-24 miles), several slower runs, two foundational sessions, and one strength and conditioning workout each day. On Twitter, performance coach and author Steve Magness commented, "Eliud Kipchoge is the best of all time... in ANY sport." "In the contemporary age, his dominance in a major sport is unprecedented." Kipchoge, who earned bronze in the 5000m in 2004 Olympics in Athens and silver in 2008 Olympics in Beijing, now has a complete set of medals.t This is Kenya's sixth medal in the men's Olympic marathon since the Beijing Games in 2008. Kipchoge's margin of victory is the largest in an Olympic marathon since Frank Shorter of the United States beat Belgian Karel Lismont by two minutes and 12 seconds in Munich in 1972.