Trailblazer, record-maker, the GOAT (Greatest of All Time); these are only a few nicknames used to refer to Eliud Kipchoge, one of the country’s – if not the world’s – most prolific long-distance runners. Kipchoge truly lives by his famous slogan: “No human is limited”, by continuing to break records and surpass boundaries year after year, proving to everyone the boundless nature of his, and all, human capability.
Learning from those who came before
This athlete’s story began in 1984 when he was born in Kapsisiywa in Nandi County. He was the last child in a family of four and was raised by a widowed mother who instilled the importance of hard work and discipline into Eliud and his siblings. Early on in his childhood, Eliud already knew that he wanted to be a runner. Hailing from a region of champions, he had much to look up to, but it was one particular man whose impressive career captivated him – Patrick Sang.
Sang was a steeplechase runner who brought home the 3000m steeplechase silver medal during the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. After witnessing this impressive performance on a black-and-white screen, Eliud made it his mission to follow in Sang’s footsteps and when Sang retired and began working as a coach, Eliud sought him out and asked for a training plan. That would be the start of a decades-long coaching relationship, which has resulted in one of the most impressive athletic careers of all time.
The start of a brilliant career
Although he is mainly associated with the marathon, at the beginning of his career, he specialised in the 5000-metre run. His time on the world stage began in 2002 when he won the junior race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kenya trials. He would later set a world junior record at the 2003 Norwich Bislett Games with a time of 12:52.61 minutes. Just a couple of years later, he won the bronze medal for the 5000m final at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece.
Kipchoge’s career was off to a brilliant start, and he would go on to collect many more medals and break records in the 5000-metre pool. However, due to a hamstring issue, he decided to switch his specialisation to the marathon, and in April 2013, he made his marathon debut as a participant in the Hamburg Marathon in Germany. To ensure he’d be in the best shape for the long runs, Eliud would go to his coach as soon as he felt any slight issue with his body, to mitigate it before it got problematic.
Finding his lane
As a marathoner, Kipchoge has broken record after record, astonishing local and international audiences alike. To date, he has clinched two Olympic gold medals, and is one of only three athletes to successively defend their Olympic marathon win. He also holds the world marathon record with a time of 2:01:09 – beating his own previous record of 2:01:39.
Although they are all phenomenal in their own ways, Kipchoge’s most ground-breaking achievement was when he became the first person in recorded history to run a sub-two-hour marathon. The attempt was organised through the Ineos 1:59 Challenge which took place on 12th October 2019 in Vienna, Austria. Back home in Kenya, everyone was glued to their screens watching the race. When the moment came for Kipchoge to cross the finish line, pedestrians stood still and cars were stopped in the Central Business District – the entire nation was spellbound, waiting for the result. When Kipchoge crossed the line in just under two hours, with a time of 01:59:40.2, cheers erupted through the country. The effect was seismic, and it was a truly unforgettable moment in Kenyan and human history.
The importance of sticking to your values
Eliud Kipchoge’s glittering career has garnered him millions of supporters worldwide and earned him partnerships with prestigious brands such as Nike. However, despite all the fame and fortune, he remains humble and focused. To date, he trains with other upcoming and established Kenyan athletes in Sang’s training camp at Kaptagat, never missing a single session. He sees his family once a week on Sundays, to catch a game of Formula 1, go to church and feed the farm animals, before resuming his training schedule. Eliud also pours back into his community, crediting traditional Kalenjin rites for his endurance and sponsoring various philanthropic initiatives as a way of giving back.
One of the most important lessons to take from Kipchoge is his approach to loss. Like any human being, he doesn’t always hit the target, but he always gets up, ready to reach for the goal once again.
We can’t wait to see what’s next in store for this legendary #KeMchezaji!