Eliud Kipchoge was born on 5th November, 1984. He is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon and was a former 5000 metres. He is the world record holder in the marathon (2:01:39), that was set on 16th September, 2018, at the 2018 Berlin Marathon. His run broke the previous world record by 1 minute and 18 seconds, and described as the greatest marathoner of the modern era. Eliud has won 12 of the 13 marathons he has participated in.
In 2003, he won his first individual world championship title by winning the junior race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and setting a world junior record over 5000M on the track. He became the senior 5000M world champion at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics with a championships record, at the age of 18, then in 2004, he won Olympic bronze for Kenya and a bronze at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships. A five-time World Championship 5000M finalist, he took silver medals at the 2007 World Championships, 2008 Summer Olympics and 2010 Commonwealth Games. Eliud switched to road running in 2012 and made the second-fastest half marathon debut ever which took 59:25. In his marathon debut, Kipchoge won 2013 Hamburg Marathon in a course record time. In 2014 He had his first victory at a World Marathon Major, at the Chicago Marathon and he went on to become series champion for 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. He won the London Marathon a record 4 times and also won the Olympic marathon in 2016.
His only loss in a marathon was a second place after Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich at the 2013 Berlin Marathon where he broke the world record.
Eliud Kipchoge ran the marathon distance at a special event in Vienna, Austria, achieving a time of 1:59:40 which was on 12th October, 2019. The run didn’t count as a new marathon record, but as a standard competition rules for pacing and fluids were not followed and it was not an open event.
Age
He was born on 5th November, 1984, Kapsisiywa, Nandi County.
Eliud Kipchoge Wife
Kipchoge has a wife and three children who live in Eldoret.
Eliud Kipchoge Family
He was raised by a single mother who was a teacher and knew his father from pictures. Eliud is the last born in a family of four. He met his trainer Patrick Sang in 2001 when he was at the age of 16
Challenge
In May 2019, Kipchoge announced another take on the sub-two-hour marathon, named the Ineos 1:59 Challenge, this happened few days after his London Marathon win. On 12th October, 2019, in Prater park, Vienna, 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 a marathon distance. The effort did not count as a new world record under IAAF rules due to the setup of the challenge that’s to be specific it was not an open event, he was handed fluids by his support team throughout the run featured a pace car and included rotating teams of other runners pacing him 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), First marathon distance run under two hours.
World Record
Kipchoge won the Berlin Marathon in a time of 2:01:39 in September 16th, 2018, breaking the previous world record by 1 minute and 18 seconds (2:02:57 set by fellow marathoner, Dennis Kimetto, at the Berlin Marathon in 2014. That was the greatest improvement in a marathon world record time since 1967. Eliud finished 4:43 minutes ahead of second-placed fellow Kenyan, Amos Kipruto. Wilson Kipsang of Kenya, came in third at 2:06:48, who was the World Record holder from 2013.
Awards
Eliud Kipchoge received numerous accolades and awards, following his performances in the 2018 season. He was named IAAF World Athlete of the Year and On 11th January, 2019, he was also named the 2018 Sportsman of the Year at the Kenyan Sports Personality of the Year Awards in Mombasa, beating fellow contenders such as boxer Fatuma Zarika, athlete Hellen Obiri and rugby star Janet Okelo.
He won the 2019 London Marathon (2:02:37), behind his 2018 Berlin Marathon win, the second fastest marathon of all time. Kipchoge’s 4th win in London marks a new course record, beating his own 2016 London Marathon record. The lead runner passed the half marathon mark (1:01:37). Mosinet Geremew (Ethiopia) finished as the runner up in 2:02:55 and Mule Wasihun (Ethiopia) came in third place in time of 2:03:16. The British runner Mo Farah who is a four-time Olympic Gold medalist, a pre-race favorite, was 5th.
