In a track season that has seen multiple records broken this year, Eliud Kipchoge took to the road to break one of his own over the weekend in Berlin. The double Olympic champion pushed the limit, smashing his own world record by 30 seconds in the marathon. The new record of two hours, one minute and nine seconds is something that seemed unattainable, but now Kipchoge has his sights set on going sub two hours in the future on a world record compatible course.
It’s hard to believe that an adult is capable of times like his, but Kipchoge has proven that age is just a number when he set the world record at 33-years-old four years ago. Now, at 37, the Kenyan is already thinking of the next big thing, wondering how he can match his first 13.1 time of 59.51 to make it across the finish line under two hours down the road.
A true athlete and an all-around good guy, Kipchoge said after the race, “No limitations, after 38k I knew I would be capable of breaking the world record. Circumstances were great, and so was the organization of the event.” Even after running such an impeccable race, he was giving credit to those who organized the event to show his gratitude.
Kipchoge has now won 15 of the 17 official marathons he has run, this time coming across the finish line more than five minutes before second place Mark Korir. He is one of only three men to defend an Olympic title after winning the 2016 rendition in Rio. Last year, he repeated as champion in Tokyo with a time of two hours, two minutes and forty seconds.
While the Kenyan distance runner has run a sub-two hour marathon time, it was not recognized as a world record because the course was specifically designed for the attempt and was not an open event. There were also professional pacesetters running alongside Kipchoge the entire time. In this year’s Berlin Marathon, Kipchoge’s pacers left the course after the first half of the race leaving him to finish on his own.
The attempt for another sub two hour marathon isn’t officially planned yet, but Kipchoge is not slowing down anytime soon. “My legs and my body still feel young,” Kipchoge told the AP after the race. “But the most important thing is my mind, and that also feels fresh and young.” If he continues on this same path, the world can expect great things to come over the next several years from the exuberant runner.