The 40-year-old will be aiming for a fifth title in London but faces a formidable test from younger marathoners who are out to upstage him.
Eliud Kipchoge is not afraid of competition from younger runners during this year’s London Marathon.
Kipchoge returns to London for a sixth time, a city he understands well after winning four titles in five appearances, but he faces a formidable lineup, which includes defending champion Alexander Mutiso and Sebastian Sawe, both from Kenya, Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola, the Olympics champion, and Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who will be making his marathon debut in London.
The marathon great did not enjoy a good 2024 season, when he finished 10th at the Tokyo Marathon before dropping out of his Olympics race, but feels he is in good shape to shake off his competitors in London on April 27.
“In terms of competition, there are a lot of young stars who are pushing the limits and getting better by the day,” Kipchoge told Telecomasia.net.
The marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge faces a fierce test at the London Marathon with rising star Alexander Munyao ready to challenge.
“I am happy to run with them and above all motivating them to look beyond sport as a competition and use sport to inspire and motivate the world. Sport is a very powerful tool that can inspire and create a huge impact on humanity.
“This is what legacy means to me. Not just the sport but beyond the sport. I expect really good and competitive performances from every one of them and personally, I love challenges as well. It would be great to once again measure myself up against some of the emerging talent that we have not just from Kenya but around the world.”
Kipchoge has spoken about his disappointing 2024 season which he wants to use as fuel to fire him to victory in London, having admitted the experience taught him a lot.
“Of course, it was a tough period, but I am back in a good way and feeling really great both mentally and physically. Disappointing moments are part of challenges in sport and we always have to embrace each and every side of the coin,” he added.
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“The same way we celebrate and jubilate in victories, is the same way we should embrace disappointment. It is part of the sport. The biggest thing to do is to learn from it and move on. If you keep yourself circling around it, there will never be progress.”
Kipchoge is getting into the twilight years of his career and is determined to keep competing and winning at the top level.
For a man who has won 15 of the 20 major marathons he has featured in, broken two world records and won as many Olympics titles, few can bet against Kipchoge springing another surprise in the streets of London.
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