Eliud Kipchoge finally comments on Kelvin Kiptum’s world record

For the past decade, Eliud Kipchoge has been a dominant force in the marathon, winning 14 out of the 17 races he’s participated in. The double Olympic champion and now former fastest man consistently set the standard for the distance, until Oct. 8. On that day, his Kenyan compatriot, Kelvin Kiptum, rewrote the history books by shattering Kipchoge’s world record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

While fans across the world marvelled at Kiptum’s new record of 2:00:35, Kipchoge remained silent. He did not publicly acknowledge it until two weeks after the race, during a press conference at the 2023 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in Oviedo, Spain.

Kipchoge’s comments about Kiptum were in response to a reporter’s question after he received an award for his accomplishments as a runner and his remarkable contributions through his foundation, which focuses on promoting education and environmental protection.

“I was not surprised about (Kiptum) breaking the world record,” Kipchoge said. “I look forward to seeing records being broken because I have shown them the way.”

Kipchoge’s two-week silence and decision not to publicly congratulate Kiptum sparked heated discussions online, with some fans labelling the marathon legend as ‘unsportsmanlike.’ The 38-year-old also expressed his excitement about a potential showdown with Kiptum at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kipchoge aims to become the first man to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the marathon event, while Kiptum hopes to win his first.

Kiptum, on the other hand, had high praise for Kipchoge after his record-breaking run in Chicago. “Of course, Eliud is the GOAT; he has achieved a lot, and we hold him in high regard, following his footsteps,” said Kiptum.

The new marathon world record holder will face a tough decision if he wants to race for Olympic gold or chase the world record at the 2024 Berlin Marathon, which is less than six weeks after the Olympic marathon in Paris.

Even though Kipchoge may no longer hold the marathon record, he remains determined to continue making history and inspire the next generation moving forward.

posted Tuesday October 24th
by Marley Dickinson