Sports enthusiasts across the country joined in ecstatic celebrations after marathoner Eliud Kipchoge shattered his world record in the Berlin Marathon on Sunday.
Among those who extolled Kipchoge were his teammates at the Global Sports Communication (GSC) in Kaptagat, who watched in awe as he dominated the streets of Berlin.
Former world Half Marathon record holder Geoffrey Kamworor said Kipchoge's win had boosted his morale.
“He is our mentor and breaking the world record is a morale booster. I spoke with him while in Berlin and he promised to push his limits. This time, being a marathon season, it gives us morale ahead of many races ahead,” Kamworor said.
“He has set the bar very high for us and that will motivate us in training,” said the two-time New York marathon champion.
Former Toronto Waterfront marathon champion Laban Kipngetich Korir was happy with the win and the world record, stating that they had a long discussion before Kipchoge left for Berlin.
“As training mates, we don’t see what he did as a miracle because having trained with him, we knew he was going to break his record,” Korir said.
“Before he left for Berlin, he told us that he would break the world record and we are happy he did it,” he said.
“As his teammates, we feel motivated ahead of our races. He is a good mentor in our camp.”
Former World Youth 3,000m steeplechase champion Sally Chepyego said she was impressed with Kipchoge’s performance, especially the style with which he won the race.
“As a teammate, he has already motivated me and I hope to do better than him,” she said
Young athlete Erick Kiplagat Sang lauded Kipchoge for staging a commendable performance in Berlin.
