When Eliud Kipchoge hinted at making a major announcement after the 54th New York Marathon on Sunday, the world was left guessing what his next move would be.
The two-time Olympic marathon champion was marking 22 years in marathon running, a period that saw him achieve the rare feat of competing and finishing six races in the prestigious World Marathon Majors (WMM) series.
And after finishing 17th in 2 hours, 14 minutes and 36 seconds in what was his slowest ever race since making his marathon debut in Hamburg in 2013, Kipchoge, who is regarded as the greatest marathoner of all time, said he isn’t done yet with competing.
The 40-year-old Kipchoge, who has finished all 17 races in the WMM that he has competed in, on Monday announced that he will embark on the next phase of his career – that of running seven marathon races across seven continents.
Kipchoge’s fans shouldn’t expect him to be as competitive as he used to be in the WMM series, as his focus now shifts to raising global awareness on education and environmental sustainability in a new project dubbed “Eliud Running World.”
“My mission is to take education and sustainability to every corner of the planet through the power of running,” Kipchoge said.
“This is not a farewell,” the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games marathon champion said.
Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge poses with a medal of honor after the men's elite race during New York City Marathon on November 2, 2025.
Photo credit: Eduardo Munoz | Reuters
“It’s a new beginning. From now on, I’ll run for a greater purpose.”
On Sunday, Kipchoge got a six-star medal reserved for athletes who have competed in all the seven WMM races – Tokyo Marathon (March 2), Boston Marathon (April 21), London Marathon (April 27), Sydney Marathon (August 31), Berlin Marathon (September 21), Chicago Marathon (October 12), and New York Marathon (November 2).
Sunday’s race was the final of this season’s seven Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM) races, which made up seven of the biggest and most prestigious marathon races. The other races in the series are Tokyo Marathon (March 2), Boston Marathon (April 21), London Marathon (April 27), Sydney Marathon (August 31), Berlin Marathon (September 21) and Chicago Marathon (October 12).
Kipchoge’s NN Running Team explained that, while the athlete’s competitive focus will shift, Kipchoge will continue to race at the elite level, where his “Eliud Kipchoge World Tour” will go.
The Tour will begin with a two-year world tour in 2026, traversing North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and even Antarctica.
Each marathon race will serve both as a sporting feat and as a platform to raise awareness and resources for Kipchoge’s foundation, which supports access to education and environmental sustainability.
Kipchoge launched “Eliud Kipchoge Foundation” on the backdrop of Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the legendary athlete focusing on providing access to education and promoting environmental sustainability.
Local projects in each host country where the “Eliud Kipchoge World Tour” will be held will benefit from initiatives such as school libraries, learning programmes, and environmental sustainability.
Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge before the New York City men's elite race on November 2, 2025.
Photo credit: Jeenah Moon | Reuters
“Every child deserves knowledge, education, and clean air to breathe,” Kipchoge said on Monday, adding that through this initiative, he hopes to inspire the youth to embrace a good all-around future in the countdown to his 50th birthday.
Kipchoge noted that as a child, he fell in love with the feeling of freedom that running gave him as he watched the champions, who came before him, make him dream of inspiring the world.
“I worked hard to prove that no human is limited. Now, I’m embarking on my biggest adventure yet, running seven marathons on seven continents. Together, we can make this a running world,” said Kipchoge.
He said that he would be the happiest man if he brought half of the world’s population to participate in running. The world’s population stood at 8,254,497,085 by October 31, this year.
Kipchoge launched “Eliud Kipchoge Foundation” on the backdrop of Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 with the focus of providing people with access to education and promoting environmental sustainability.
Local projects in each host country will benefit from the events supporting initiatives such as school libraries, learning programmes, and environmental restoration.
Kipchoge made history as the first man to win the Berlin Marathon five times, two of those yielding world record times. The two occasions were in 2018 when he clocked 2:01:39, and in 2022 when he timed 2:01:09.
Some of the highlights of his career were his second successful attempt in breaking the two-hour barrier in the marathon on October 12, 2019, in a project dubbed “INEOS1:59 Challenge” in Vienna, Austria, where he clocked 1:59:40.
