After failing in his attempt to break the record two last month in Berlin, Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge is plottting to give it another try next year.
Kipchoge fell short in his bid for the record, clocking 2:03:32 in to win Berlin Marathon two weeks ago. He said he has not given up on the record and he will go back to the drawing board to re-strategise.
“A lot of goodwill has come out of this race and I promise Kenya one thing, as a team, we will keep training, working harder as we aim to break the record and fly the Kenyan flag even higher. This is my promise to my fans and to the rest of the country,” added Kipchoge.
He said weather conditions on the day hampered his bid with rain and overcast conditions disrupting the world record attempt. “I was fairly confident with the pacemakers that it was possible but on the day, the weather conditions were not ideal despite I giving it my best shot,” added Kipchoge.
Kipchoge timed his race to perfection edging Ethiopian Adola Guye to second position with compatriot and former world record holder Wilson Kipsang and former Olympic and world champion double champion Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele pulling out of the race. “I was not worried about them. I placed myself well and ran a good race and it’s only the conditions which were not good,” added Kipchoge
Kipchoge, who has won eight out of nine marathons since 2013, said he is in peak condition and sees himself running at the highest level for the next couple of years. “I’m in good condition. I have trained hard with my coach and manager and I expect to run more marathons in the years to come,” he added.
Isuzu East Africa general manager Rita Kavashe congratulated him for his feat in the German capita. “Let me begin by extending my heartiest congratulations to Eliud Kipchoge. This win recognises your hard work and outstanding achievements, and I hope this will spur you on to achieve even greater heights in sports,” she said.
Kavashe assured Kipchoge that the company will keep its promise of rewarding him with a Luxury Isuzu Dmax when he breaks the world record in any future international marathon that he will participate in.