Kipchoge: Why the G.O.A.T. wants to run in Berlin

Double Olympic champion and world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge has temporarily shelved his plans to win all six World Marathon Majors races by electing to have a stab at his own world record on the streets of Berlin on September 25.

With the New York City Marathon programmed for November 6, just 42 days after the Berlin Marathon, it’s improbable that the decorated marathoner will head to the Big Apple.

Always raising the bar for himself, Kipchoge wants to become the first man to win three, back-to-back Olympic marathon gold medals when he lines up in Paris in 2024.

He has also made it clear that he wants to bag all six World Marathon Majors titles by winning in Berlin, London, Chicago, Tokyo, Boston and New York.

So far, he has won in all big city races apart from the New York and Boston races where he is yet to compete.

The Berlin race holds many cherished memories for the Kenyan marathon great and in his last appearance in the German capital four years ago he claimed the world record of two hours, one minute and 39 seconds, which still stands today.

Kipchoge made his debut on the streets of Berlin in 2013, finishing second behind his compatriot Wilson Kipsang, who set a world record that day.

Four-time winner

Two years later, he returned to claim his maiden success in the Berlin Marathon in 2:04:00 before adding a second crown in 2:03:32 in 2017.

Kipchoge will be chasing a fourth Berlin Marathon title in this year’s event and should he achieve the feat he will match the Ethiopian great Haile Gebrselassie as a four-time winner of the event.

In a round-table virtual conference with journalists drawn from across the world on Friday, Kipchoge said he has been training well after recovering from Tokyo Marathon earlier this year.

“Berlin is the fastest course… it’s where a human being can showcase his potential to push the limits. My running in September is to inspire the other athletes and all my fans and show them that anything is possible,” Kipchoge, 37, said.

Asked if he will be retiring after the 2024 Paris Olympics, the legend said he is currently concentrating on his upcoming races and after 2024, he will still be running.

“I still have some more years to compete and my focus now is to compete in the big city marathons and the 2024 Olympic Games where I still believe I can run well and inspire the next generation,” said Kipchoge.

Concerning the sub-two hours in marathon, he said that the next generation is on good position to lower the current time he has clocked.

“Even if the time I clocked during the INEOS 1:59 project in 2019 of 1:59:40 was not recognised as a world record time, I still believe there is an athlete in the upcoming generation who will be able to run under two hours in future because the world is changing,” he added.

The NN Running Team-athlete boasts an unmatched record over the 42.2km distance and has won 14 out of his 16 career marathons.

This includes back-to-back Olympic titles at the Rio and Tokyo Games and nine World Marathon Majors victories.

In his most recent marathon appearance at the Tokyo Marathon in March, the Kenyan triumphed in 2:02:40 – the fourth quickest marathon time in history. 

Kipchoge trains at Kaptagat in Elgeyo Marakwet County under the Global Sports Communication stable.

He also recently launched Eliud Kipchoge Cycling Academy in Kaptagat saying that he wanted to show the world that anything is possible and East Africa can also produce world beaters in cycling.

“We have youth who are good in the cycling sport and in two years with the support we are giving them, we shall have youths representing their countries from the region,”  he added.

Additional reporting by NN Running Team