“I don’t know where the limits are, but I would like to go there.”
I subscribe to The Sports Examiner. Informative and run by an original gangster of running journalism, Rich Perelman. This introduction is his.
Kenyan icon Eliud Kipchoge’s stunning 2:01:09 world-record marathon in Berlin included two en-route world bests, one of which shattered a mark he has held since 2018.
On the way to victory, Kipchoge crossed 25 km in 1:11:08, breaking the mark of 1:11:18 by fellow Kenyan Dennis Kimetto from 2012 – also in Berlin – and Kipchoge set a world best for 30 km in 1:25:40, replacing his 2018 Berlin time of 1:26:45. (World Athletics does not keep official world records for these distances.)
Another way to consider Kipchoge’s record run was his incredible average mile time of 4:37 and his 10 km splits of 28:23, 28:22, 28:55 and 29:03 before a final 6:16 over the last 2.2 km.
And so it dawned on me, this man, this master of distance running – the most rewarding sport in the world – this greatest of all time, of the entire history of human existence, doesn’t get his due respect.
Who is better at his job than this guy? That’s a rhetorical question, keep reading.
Eliud Kipchoge EGH (English: /ˌɛliˈuːd kɪpˈtʃoʊɡə/ EL-ee-OOD kip-CHOH-gə) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon and formerly specialized at the 5000 meter distance. Widely regarded as the greatest marathon runner of all time, he is the 2016 and 2020 Olympic marathon champion and the world record holder in the marathon with a time of 2:01:09 set at the 2022 Berlin Marathon.
He has run four of the six fastest marathons in history.
This is all according to Wikipedia, your free dictionary.
Kipchoge claimed his first individual world championship title in 2003 by winning the junior race at the World Cross Country Championships, and setting a world junior record over 5000m on the track. At the age of eighteen, he became the senior 5000m world champion at the 2003 World Championships with a championships record, then followed with an Olympic bronze for Kenya in 2004 and a bronze at the 2006 World Indoor Championships.
A five-time World Championship 5000m finalist, Kipchoge took silver medals at the 2007 World Championships, 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 Commonwealth Games.
In his marathon debut, he won the 2013 Hamburg Marathon in a course record time. His first victory at a World Marathon Major came at the Chicago Marathon in 2014, and he went on to become series champion a record five times – for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022. He has won the London Marathon a record four times, and also shares the record for most Berlin Marathon wins with four, tied with Haile Gebrselassie.
With 15 victories out of his 17 marathons, Kipchoge’s only losses have been a second-place finish behind Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich at the 2013 Berlin Marathon, where Kipsang broke the world record, and an eighth-place finish at the 2020 London Marathon.
Kipchoge’s current world record run broke by 30 seconds his own 2018 world record, which was in turn a 78-second improvement over the existing best, the greatest improvement in a marathon world record time since 1967.
On 12 October 2019, Kipchoge ran the marathon distance for the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, achieving a time of 1:59:40.2. The run did not count as a new marathon record, as standard competition rules for pacing and fluids were not followed. It was not an open event.
What it was, it was an applied-science exploration of the limits of physical man. And his super shoes.
In recognition of his sub-two hour marathon, Kipchoge was appointed Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart by President Uhuru Kenyatta in October 2019.
Personal life
Kipchoge was born on 5 November 1984 in Kapsisiywa, Nandi County, in Kenya. He graduated from the Kaptel Secondary School in Nandi County in 1999 but did not run seriously at the time. He ran three kilometers (two miles) to school on a daily basis. Kipchoge was raised by a single mother (a teacher), and only knew his father from pictures. He is the youngest of four children. He met his trainer Patrick Sang (a former Olympic medalist in the steeplechase) in 2001 at the age of 16.
Kipchoge’s wife and three children live in Eldoret, Kenya. He lives and trains in Kaptagat, 30 km (19ish miles) from Eldoret.
Career
2002–2004
In 2002, Eliud won at the Kenyan trials for the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships junior race. At the World Cross Country Championships, held in Dublin, Kipchoge finished fifth in the individual race and was part of the Kenyan junior team that won gold. Kipchoge also won the 5000 meters race at the Kenyan trial for the 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics, but fell ill and missed the championships. At the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships he won the junior race.
He set a world junior record in the 5000m at the 2003 Bislett Games, running a time of 12:52.61 minutes. This was the world and African junior record until 2012, when Hagos Gebrhiwet of Ethiopia ran 12:47.53 minutes.
Kipchoge won a gold medal at the 5000m final at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, outsprinting runner-up Hicham El Guerrouj, the world record holder in the 1500 metres and mile, by four hundredths of a second in 12:52.79. Say that again – he outsprinted El Guerrouj.
In July, he participated in the Golden League 2004 Roma Meeting. In the 5000m event, he ran 12:46.53, which made him the sixth-fastest ever in the event.
In 2004, Kipchoge won a bronze medal at the 5000m final at the 2004 Athens Olympics, behind El Guerrouj and Kenenisa Bekele. He also won the Trofeo Alasport cross country race earlier that season.
2006
Kipchoge won the bronze in the 3000 metres indoor at the 2006 World Championships in Moscow.
At the end of the year, Kipchoge won the San Silvestre Vallecana New Year’s Eve 10K road race in 26:54 minutes, bettering his own course record by 40 seconds. This mark was superior to the 10K road world record at the time, but run on a downhill course.
2007
Kipchoge won a silver medal at the 5000m final of the 2007 World Championships at Osaka in 13:46.00, behind Kenyan-American Bernard Lagat (13:45.87).
2008
During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Kipchoge won a silver medal in the 5000m event with a time of 13:02.80. He broke the previous Olympic record of 13:05.59, it was not enough to match Kenenisa Bekele’s pace, who won the gold medal. On the circuit, he won the Great Yorkshire Run 10K and Campaccio Cross Country that year.
2009
He failed to reach the 5K podium at the 2009 World Championships, finishing in fifth place. He also finished ninth in the 3000m at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final.
2010–2011
He made his debut on the 2010 IAAF Diamond League by winning the 5000m Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix in a meet record time.
Kipchoge entered the Carlsbad 5000 in California, United States. The Carlsbad 5K road race is the site of the world best times for a 5k road race. The fastest was Sammy Kipketer in 2000, with 12:59.52. Kipchoge made a world best attempt and although he won the race, weather affected his chances and he finished in 13:11, the fourth-fastest ever for the course at the time.
In the first athletics final of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Kipchoge attempted to win the 5000m title. Ugandan runner Moses Kipsiro held a slender lead over Eliud in the final stages of the race and Kipchoge ended up in second place, taking the silver medal some seven-hundredths of a second behind. He flew back to Europe immediately after to take part in the Belgrade Race Through History the following day. His shoe fell off in the first kilometer and, after putting it back on, he managed to navigate his way to eventually take second place, two seconds behind Josphat Menjo.
At the start of 2011, he won the short race at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country, ahead of Asbel Kiprop. He defended his title at the Carlsbad 5000 in April but came a close second behind Dejen Gebremeskel. In May he raced the 3000 meters (finished third) in Doha, with a time of 7:27.66 and ranked him as the 12th-fastest at the distance up to this point.
Kipchoge represented Kenya at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics and reached the 5000m final for the fifth consecutive time. He only managed seventh place on this occasion.
2012
Kipchoge returned to the Edinburgh Cross Country in 2012 and he finished third behind Asbel Kiprop and Britain’s Jonathan Hay. He was also third at the Carlsbad 5000 in March. He attempted to make the 10,000m Olympic team at the Prefontaine Classic, but fell off the pace in the latter stages of the Kenyan trial race, placing seventh. A seventh-place finish in the Kenyan 5000m trial race meant he would not make a third consecutive Olympic team.
Time to move up.
He made his half marathon debut in the Lille Half Marathon. The run was won by a new course record time of 59:05 (previously 59:36 by ilahun Regassa set in 2008) by Ezekiel Chebii (former pb 59:22), trailed by Bernard Koech 59:10, and Kipchoge earned a third place with 59:25. His time of 59:25 became the second fastest Half Marathon debut, only second to Moses Mosop’s 59:20 in Milan in 2010.
On 6 October 2012, Kipchoge ran at the 2012 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Kavarna, Bulgaria. Zsersenay Tadese of Eritrea won in 1:00:19 and Kipchoge placed sixth in 1:01:52.
Kipchoge losing seems like Kipchoge learning.
Wilson Kipsang (front) and Kipchoge (behind) running in the 2013 Berlin Marathon in which Kipsang set the world record with 2:03:23 and Kipchoge, racing in his second marathon, finished second, 42 seconds later.
2013
Kipchoge opened his 2013 season with a 60:04 win at the Barcelona Half Marathon.
Making his marathon debut in April, he demonstrated a smooth transition to the longer distance by taking the Hamburg Marathon title with a run of 2:05:30 hours, beating the field by over two minutes and setting a new course record.
In August 2013, he won the Half Marathon of Klagenfurt in 1:01:02 minutes.
Then, he raced in the 2013 Berlin Marathon and finished second in 2:04:05, the fifth-fastest time in history, in his second-ever marathon, behind Wilson Kipsang, who set a new marathon world record with 2:03:23. Third place went to Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya with 2:06:26. This was ninth world record set at the Berlin Marathon.
2015
On February 2, Groundhog’s Day, Kipchoge participated in the Ras al-Khaimah Half Marathon. He placed sixth with a time of 1:00:50. The run was won by Mosinet Geremew (Ethiopia) in 1:00:05. Kipchoge ran 2:04:42 to win the 2015 London Marathon in April. He also won the 2015 Berlin Marathon later in the year.
His win and then-personal best time (2:04:00) occurred even though his shoes malfunctioned, causing his insoles to flap out of both shoes from 10 km onward; rather than risk time lost from an adjustment, he finished the race with bloodied, blistered feet.
2016
In April, Kipchoge won the 2016 London Marathon for the second consecutive year in a time of 2:03:05. His performance broke the course record in London, and became the second-fastest marathon time in history, missing Dennis Kimetto’s world record by eight seconds.
Rio Olympic Games
The prerace favorite, Kipchoge won marathon gold at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics in 2:08:44. The runner-up was Feyisa Lilesa (Ethiopia) in 2:09:54 and the bronze medal went to Galen Rupp (USA), in his second marathon, crossing the finish line in 2:10:05. When the halfway point after 21.0975 km was reached, 37 men were within ten seconds of the lead runner. Three leaders emerged shortly before 34 km. Kipchoge made his final move on silver medal winner Lilesa around 36 km into the race. He covered the first half of the race in 1:05:55 while doing the second half in 1:02:49, a negative split by more than three minutes.
The winning gap between Kipchoge and Lilesa by 70 seconds was the largest victory margin since the 1972 Olympic marathon. Kipchoge’s winning time of 2:08:44 was, as of August 2021, his slowest marathon time. One hundred fifty-five runners started the race, the largest field in Olympic history; 140 of them finished the race.
On 6 May, Kipchoge, along with Zersenay Tadese (then world record holder in the half marathon) and Lelisa Desisa (two- time Boston Marathon winner), attempted the first sub-two-hour assisted marathon, in the Nike Breaking2 project on the Monza Formula 1 racetrack near Milan, Italy. All 3 runners ran a test two months before the attempt. The target time was one hour for a half marathon. Kipchoge finished first in 59:17. The course was measured at 2400 m per lap. During the two-hour attempt, the runners were paced by a lead car and 30 supporting pacers joining in stages (both considered illegal under IAAF rules).
Kipchoge finished in 2:00:25, while the other two had to slow and finished far behind. The runners planned even 14:13 5k splits to break 2 hours. His 5k splits were: 14:14, 14:07, 14:13, 14:15, 14:14, 14:17, 14:17, 14:27, and 6:20 to finish. The 5k split times from 25k and further would be world records: 25k in 1:11:03, 30k in 1:25:20, 35k in 1:39:37, 40k in 1:54:04.
On 24 September, he won the 2017 Berlin Marathon in a time of 2:03:32. In rainy conditions, he finished 14 seconds ahead of Guye Adola who ran the fastest marathon debut ever. Former marathon world record holder Wilson Kipsang and 2016 winner Kenenisa Bekele failed to finish.
2018
Kipchoge won the London Marathon against a field that included Mo Farah, Kenenisa Bekele, and defending champion Daniel Wanjiru.
2018 Berlin and new world record
“A 2:01:39 in the Marathon is like a Mars landing for Space travel.”
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
“Whatever happens, this will surely go down as Kipchoge’s crowning glory, his marathon opus. It would be no surprise if his record stood for a generation, unless, of course, he himself has other ideas.”
The Guardian
“In an astonishing performance at the 2018 BMW Berlin Marathon, Kipchoge took marathoning into a new stratosphere by clocking 2:01:39 – the first man ever under 2:02, and a full 78 seconds faster than Dennis Kimetto’s four-year-old world record.
It was a performance so far superior to anything we’ve seen before that comparing it to another marathon feels inadequate. This was Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in basketball, Usain Bolt’s 9.58 in the 100-meter dash.
Kipchoge’s splits – 1:01:06 for the first half, a ridiculous 1:00:33 for his second half – sound made up. But they were real, and they were spectacular.”
LetsRun.com
On 16 September, Kipchoge won the 2018 Berlin Marathon in a time of 2:01:39, breaking the previous world record by 1 minute and 18 seconds (2:02:57 set by fellow countryman Dennis Kimetto at the Berlin Marathon in 2014). It was the greatest improvement in a marathon world record time since 1967. He finished 4:43 min ahead of second-placed fellow Kenyan Amos Kipruto. The world record holder from 2013, Wilson Kipsang of Kenya, came in third at 2:06:48. It was 11th world record set at the Berlin Marathon.
2018 accolades
Following his performances in the 2018 season, Kipchoge received numerous accolades and awards. He was named IAAF World Athlete of the Year together with Caterine Ibargüen, who received the female World Athlete of the Year award. On 11 January 2019, Kipchoge was named the 2018 Sportsman of the Year at the Kenyan Sports Personality of the Year Awards in Mombasa, Kenya.
2019
Kipchoge won the 2019 London Marathon in a time of 2:02:37, the second fastest marathon of all time, behind his 2018 Berlin Marathon win. He became the first man to win the event four times and set a new course record, beating his own 2016 London Marathon best by 28 seconds. The lead runner passed the half marathon mark in 1:01:37. Mosinet Geremew (Ethiopia) finished as the runner up in 2:02:55 and Mule Wasihun (Ethiopia) came in third place in 2:03:16. The British runner Mo Farah, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and a pre-race favorite, finished 5th.
Ineos 1:59 Challenge
In May 2019, a few days after his London Marathon win, Kipchoge announced another take on the sub-two-hour marathon, named the Ineos 1:59 Challenge. On 12 October 2019 in Vienna’s Prater park, he ran 4.4 laps of the Hauptallee in 1:59:40, becoming the first person in recorded history to break the two-hour barrier over the marathon distance.
The effort did not count as a new world record under IAAF rules due to the setup of the challenge. Specifically, it was not an open event, Kipchoge was handed fluids by his support team throughout, the run featured a pace car, and included rotating teams of other runners pacing Kipchoge in a formation designed to reduce wind resistance and maximize efficiency. The achievement was recognized by Guinness World Records with the titles ‘Fastest marathon distance (male)’ and ‘First marathon distance run under two hours’.
A documentary on the Ineos 1:59 Challenge, titled Kipchoge: The Last Milestone, was released digitally on-demand on 24 August 2021.
2020
Kipchoge placed 8th in the 2020 London Marathon in October with a time of 2:06:49, the lowest finish of his marathoning career.
2021
In preparation for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, he won the NN Mission Marathon, which was held at Enschede Airport Twente in the Netherlands on 18 April 2021, in a time of 2:04:30. Jonathan Korir finished as the runner up with a personal best of 2:06:40.
Kipchoge successfully defended his title from the Rio Olympics by winning the gold medal in the men’s marathon at the Tokyo Games in a time of 2:08:38, becoming only the third person to successfully defend their gold medal in the men’s marathon, after Abebe Bikila in 1960 barefoot and 1964 shod, and Waldemar Cierpinski in 1976 and 1980, doped to the gills both times.
He was the favorite to win and attacked around the 30 km mark, looking back only once afterwards. The silver medal went to Abdi Nageeye (Netherlands) who finished 80 seconds after Kipchoge. Bashir Abdi (Belgium) came in third for a bronze medal with 2:10:00. Kipchoge was the oldest Olympic marathon winner since Carlos Lopes won in 1984 at the age of 37. The run was staged 500 miles north of Tokyo in Sapporo with 106 runners participating in the race.
2022
On 20 January, Kipchoge announced his desire to win all 6 Abbott World Marathons Majors. He had already won three – the London, Berlin, and Chicago marathons. He targeted the 2021 Tokyo Marathon (held on 6 March 2022 due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2021), and the majority of his recent training was dedicated towards this goal.
He won the Tokyo Marathon with a time of 2:02:40 – a course and all-comers’ record. Amos Kipruto of Kenya finished second with a personal best of 2:03:13, and Tamirat Tola from Ethiopia came in third in a time of 2:04:14.
2022 Berlin and new world record
On 25 September, Kipchoge won decisively the 2022 Berlin Marathon in 2:01:09, beating by 30 seconds his own previous world record, set on the same course in 2018. With his fourth victory in Berlin, he equaled the record achievement of Haile Gebrselassie. He finished 4:49 ahead of second-placed compatriot Mark Korir while Ethiopia’s Tadu Abate took third place with a time of 2:06:28.
Kipchoge achieved halfway in 59:51 which, being at the time the fastest split in marathon history, would have been a world record in the standalone half-marathon in 1993, and was only 26 seconds off his best in that distance. He slowed down later with second half in 61:18.
It was the eighth time in a row that men’s record was set in Berlin and 12th record there overall.
International
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | World Cross Country Championships | Dublin, Ireland | 5th | Junior race | 23:39 |
| 1st | Junior team | 18 pts | |||
| 2003 | World Cross Country Championships | Lausanne, Switzerland | 1st | Junior race | 22:47 |
| 1st | Junior team | 15 pts | |||
| World Championships | Paris, France | 1st | 5000 m | 12:52.79 CR | |
| 2004 | World Cross Country Championships | Brussels, Belgium | 4th | Long race | 36:34 |
| 2nd | Team | 30 pts | |||
| Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 3rd | 5000 m | 13:15.10 | |
| 2005 | World Cross Country Championships | Saint-Étienne, France | 5th | Long race | 35:37 |
| 2nd | Team | 35 pts | |||
| World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 4th | 5000 m | 13:33.04 | |
| 2006 | World Indoor Championships | Moscow, Russia | 3rd | 3000 m | 7:42.58 |
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 2nd | 5000 m | 13:46.00 |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 2nd | 5000 m | 13:02.80 |
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 5th | 5000 m | 13:18.95 |
| 2010 | Commonwealth Games | New Delhi, India | 2nd | 5000 m | 13:31.32 |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 7th | 5000 m | 13:27.27 |
| 2012 | World Half Marathon Championships | Kavarna, Bulgaria | 6th | Half marathon | 1:01:52 |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 1st | Marathon | 2:08:44 |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Sapporo, Japan | 1st | Marathon | 2:08:38 |
Marathons
| Competition | Rank | Time | Location | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 Hamburg Marathon | 1st | 2:05:30 | Hamburg | 2013 Apr 21 | Marathon debut, set course record |
| 2013 Berlin Marathon | 2nd | 2:04:05 | Berlin | 2013 Sep 29 | 1st Wilson Kipsang (2:03:23 World Record) |
| 2014 Rotterdam Marathon | 1st | 2:05:00 | Rotterdam | 2014 Apr 13 | |
| 2014 Chicago Marathon | 1st | 2:04:11 | Chicago | 2014 Oct 12 | |
| 2015 London Marathon | 1st | 2:04:42 | London | 2015 Apr 26 | |
| 2015 Berlin Marathon | 1st | 2:04:00 | Berlin | 2015 Sep 27 | |
| Rio de Janeiro | 1st | 2:03:05 | London | 2016 Apr 24 | Set course record |
| 2016 Summer Olympics | 1st | 2:08:44 | Rio de Janeiro | 2016 Aug 21 | |
| 2017 Breaking2 | 2:00:25 | Monza | 2017 May 6 | An experimental run over the marathon distance.* | |
| 2017 Berlin Marathon | 1st | 2:03:32 | Berlin | 2017 Sep 24 | |
| 2018 London Marathon | 1st | 2:04:17 | London | 2018 Apr 22 | |
| 2018 Berlin Marathon | 1st | 2:01:39 | Berlin | 2018 Sep 16 | World record |
| 2019 London Marathon | 1st | 2:02:37 | London | 2019 Apr 28 | New course record |
| 2019 INEOS 1:59 Challenge | 1:59:40 | Vienna | 2019 Oct 12 | An experimental run over the marathon distance.** | |
| 2020 London Marathon | 8th | 2:06:49 | London | 2020 Oct 4 | First loss in marathon since 2013. Lowest finish in career. |
| NN Mission Marathon | 1st | 2:04:30 | Enschede | 2021 Apr 18 | |
| 2020 Summer Olympics | 1st | 2:08:38 | Sapporo | 2021 Aug 8 | Becomes third man to defend Olympic marathon title, after Abebe Bikila and the East German cheater. Largest margin of victory (80 seconds) in Olympics since 1972. |
| 2021 Tokyo Marathon | 1st | 2:02:40 | Tokyo | 2022 Mar 6 | Race Record |
| 2022 Berlin Marathon | 1st | 2:01:09 | Berlin | 2022 Sep 25 | World record |
* Not eligible for record purposes. Kipchoge was the fastest runner out of three.
** Not eligible for record purposes.
| World Marathon Majors | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Marathon | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | p | 1st 2:02:40 * |
| Boston Marathon | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | x | – | – |
| London Marathon | – | – | 1st 2:04:42 | 1st 2:03:05 | – | 1st 2:04:17 | 1st 2:02:37 | 8th 2:06:49 | – | |
| Berlin Marathon | 2nd 2:04:05 | – | 1st 2:04:00 | – | 1st 2:03:32 | 1st 2:01:39 | – | x | – | 1st 2:01:09 |
| Chicago Marathon | – | 1st 2:04:11 | – | – | – | – | – | x | – | |
| New York City Marathon | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | x | – |
Eliud Kipchoge will next apply his mystical skills at the 2023 Boston Marathon.
If you are crazy enough to have read all the way down to here, you are sufficiently sane to wonder, how does he do that?
Eliud Kipchoge: Training Methods of the double Olympic marathon champion
The Kenyan marathon star loves his weekly long runs that range between 30-40km which he says helps his ‘body respond to running for a very long time and perform in a race.’ Here are the secrets that have helped Kipchoge become the fastest in history, and win gold in Rio and Tokyo.
When Eliud Kipchoge stepped up to marathon running in 2013, the Kenyan employed an athletics training programme that is now revered as a lesson in consistency and discipline.
His team’s high-altitude camp in Kaptagat in the vast Rift Valley region of the African nation is weaved around three principles: simple, focused, and hard work.
It helped him become the world’s fastest man over the marathon, and to the Olympic gold medals at the Rio 2016 and Toyko 2020 Games.
Kipchoge loves his long runs, even on ‘bad days’, and records every one in a notebook, which contains the secrets to his success.
Want to train like the best of the best? Read on for more.
Where does Eliud Kipchoge train?
Eliud Kipchoge trains in Kaptagat in the Kenyan highlands, that lies at altitude of 2500m above sea level.
In Kenya’s history, Kaptagat was where most of the British colonialists settled, but it is now known to be cradle of some of the best world distance runners, including marathon legend Moses Tanui, Olympic steeplechase champion Brimin Kipruto and many others.
The Global Sports Communication training camp was started by his mentor and coach Patrick Sang, an Olympic silver medallist in the steeplechase.
It is a basic camp that houses around 30 athletes, who reside there for at least five days every week.
That’s also what the simplicity principle hinges on.
The camp has a main building, basic dormitories, a kitchen, dining area, and a small TV and physio room.
“It’s free of distractions, “Eliud told ineos.com about the minimalist camp, where he has spent most of his time over the last 19 years.
“In 2002 we had no running water and used to get our water from a nearby well. But now we have running water and solar panels for heating.”
The athletes, Kipchoge included, do the house chores around the camp and spend most of their free time chatting and relaxing.
According to Sang, Kaptagat became even more famous after Kipchoge’s marathon success.
“Kaptagat now attracts so many athletes who come here to train and that has a knock-on effect on the economy.
“That’s why we say Eliud is more than an athlete. He is an inspiration in all aspects of life.” Sang told INEOS.com.
How does Eliud Kipchoge train?
Eliud Kipchoge’s training involves a lot of running, some track, and core sessions.
The training drafted by coach Sang mainly involves a morning and an afternoon workout.
According to the marathon handbook, his work out over the course of 5-6 days is typically:
– one long run (30-40km),
– several slow runs,
– two core sessions,
– one strength and conditioning daily,
– and one or two Fartlek sessions (speed session on track).
“The long run, we do once every two weeks,” Sang told NN Running in a documentary.
“The idea is to alternate. [If] the last one we did on a hilly course this time is fairly medium.”
“Long run is crucial for me… It tells my body that you need to run that long,” Kipchoge explained in the documentary.
“The more I do the long run, the more actually my body responds to running for a very long time and for performing in a race.” – Eliud Kipchoge.
The world record holder is known to fully immerse himself in his training sessions.
He is focused.
“The guy is so positive and really focussed,” Sang told the Olympic Channel ahead of Kipchoge’s race against the clock in Vienna in October 2019, when he became the first human to run a sub-two-hour marathon.
HE. HAS. DONE. IT.@EliudKipchoge is the first human to run a marathon in less than two hours!
His official time of 1:59:40 is now immortal.#INEOS159 #NoHumanIsLimited pic.twitter.com/wD6clIzHM0— Olympic Channel (@olympicchannel) October 12, 2019
“For 18 years, there is no day Eliud has asked me anything about training. He comes to the training place to train and normally we give him the plan for the day on that specific minute,” he continued.
“For 18 years he’s never asked for the plan for the year, the plan for the week, the plan for the month, no.”
He also values his physio sessions and always travels with his physiotherapist Peter Nduhiu, who greatly admires his work ethic.
“Besides the training program that he does, there are two exercise [core] sessions that he does twice a week, one hour each. Give Eliud the exercise he will do it as is. Even if it is tough. When other guys try to complain he says, ‘no… let’s do it!’”
Who are Eliud Kipchoge’s training partners?
The bulk of his usual training mates at the camp in Kaptagat were part of the team that helped him pace to 1:59:40 at the INEOS Challenge.
They play a crucial role in the 36-year-old’s training program.
“Unless you are a genius, it is impossible to train on your own and achieve the same level of results,” Kipchoge said.
“My best philosophy is that one percent of the whole team, is more crucial than 100% of myself, that’s teamwork.
“I value team work more than anything else,” he told Olympics.com ahead of his title defence in Tokyo.
His close friends and training partners are four-time World Cross Country and World Half-Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor and Augustine Choge, a former World junior and youth champion.
There is also two-time World marathon champion Abel Kirui and 2017 world champion Geoffrey Kirui.
Uganda’s Olympic marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich as well as Dutch marathon record holder Abdi Nageeye, are among foreign marathoners who frequently train with Kipchoge.
“I have known Eliud for 17 years and have raced him several times. We competed in the same team at the 2003 World Cross country. He won gold and I was fourth,” Augustine Choge told Olympic Channel ahead of the epic run in Vienna.
“That’s the same year he beat [Hicham] El Guerrouj and [Kenenisa] Bekele [at the World Championships] in Paris. Since then he has been a great friend. He is like my dad or an elder brother to me.”
His training mates appreciate his hard work and how he motivates them to push through.
“We have been training together for many years. He is one of the most disciplined, hardworking athletes in training.
“He is also very simple despite being among the most recognized athletes in the world,” Choge added.
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