Eliud Kipchoge/ FILEFive-time Berlin Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge is hopeful of a strong finish as he makes his debut at the New York City Marathon on Sunday.
Widely regarded as the greatest marathoner of all time, Kipchoge has reigned supreme on European soil, conquering the streets of Berlin and London with effortless grace.
But this weekend, the marathon maestro takes his legendary stride to the Big Apple, his first appearance on American roads in over a decade.
Kipchoge’s only triumph on US soil was in 2014, when he won the Chicago Marathon in 2:04:11.
Since then, he has ruled the European circuit with unmatched authority, claiming a record five Berlin titles in 2015 (2:04:00), 2017 (2:03:32), 2018 (2:01:39), 2022 (2:01:09) and 2023 (2:02:42).
He also holds four London crowns from 2015 (2:04:42), 2016 (2:03:05), 2018 (2:04:17) and 2019 (2:02:37).
“My preparations have been good, and I’m really looking forward to being on the New York start line and finishing in a good way,” Kipchoge said.
“The main target is to run a good race.”
The two-time Olympic champion, who boasts six World Marathon Majors appearances, believes competing in New York will complete his marathon journey.
“I believe when I get a seventh star medal, I’ll be a real marathoner, having run all the major marathons,” he said.
Kipchoge heads to New York fresh from an outing at the Sydney Marathon, where he clocked 2:08:31 for ninth place.
At 40, the Kenyan icon says the continued global fascination with his career fuels his passion.
“My happiness is to see people still get interested in me,” he said.
He credits his remarkable longevity in the sport to an unyielding code of discipline.
“The secret is to be disciplined, have integrity, and be honest with yourself,” he said.
Away from competition, Kipchoge recently stepped into leadership after being elected as an athlete representative at the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK), a role he embraces with the same sense of purpose that has defined his running.
“It means a lot. I have 23 years of experience in running, so I can mentor young athletes, listen to their views, and take them to those managing the sport. I’m here to do positive things,” he said.
Reflecting on Kenya’s performance at the recent Tokyo World Championships, where Emmanuel Wanyonyi was the only male gold medallist, Kipchoge called for renewed focus on empowering the boy child.
“The problem is the people surrounding the boy child—they don’t encourage or educate them,” he observed.
Off the track, Kipchoge and his NN Running Team have launched Kotcha, a new app designed to share his world-class training routines with runners globally.
“The app provides nutrition guidance, a training programme, physiotherapy advice, and tips on managing injuries,” he explained.
“We are trying to help people understand what they’re doing while running—and to love running. It’s about blending sport and technology.”
