Eliud Kipchoge has achieved a lot in marathon but nobody knows his next course of action after retirement.
Eliud Kipchoge is a household name largely because of the achievements he has had in a career that spans more than 20 years.
While winning Olympic marathon titles (2016, 2020) elevated his status, recording three of the 10 fastest times in marathon history makes him out of touch with his competitors. He simply cannot be mentioned in the same line with some of the marathoners who claim to be his rivals when they are actually learning from the 40-year-old.
Even as the world awaits Kipchoge’s decision regarding his future plans after the London Marathon on April 27, the four-time London Marathon champion will no doubt get out of the spotlight just yet.
After a disappointing performance in the Paris Olympics, where Kipchoge pulled out of the race after 32km due to an injury, question marks have been raised regarding his longevity in the 26.1-mile distance.
Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge has revealed what else he will do on his return to the London Marathon this year.
To shun negativity and extreme criticism, Kipchoge has turned into a mentor, in order to unearth other talents that can pick up the mantle from him when he decides to hang up his spikes.
After Kipchoge confirmed that he will run the London Marathon again after a five-year absence, he has offered to mentor Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee on his debut in the race.
The Britton will be on the start line for the first time after deciding to give a marathon a go following his triathlon gold medal at Paris Olympics. The 26-year-old admitted last year it was his dream to one day pick the brains of Kipchoge and the Kenyan has offered to guide Yee in order to become a world beater in the 42km-distance.
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Sifan Hassan has explained why she will need hefty appearance fee and prize money before committing to Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track.
“I’d love to know him more. I’ll give my time when I’m in London to sit with him and share a meal, have a coffee. My advice is make sure to train very well and enjoy the distance. I’ll share with him what I believe about running. I’m looking forward to it,” Kipchoge remarked.
In October 2024, the five-time Berlin marathon champion took his time to mentor Athlete Refugee Team members in Kapsabet. The athletes sat with their pens and notebooks open, ready to jot down the nuggets of wisdom on the fundamentals of a successful life shared by the marathon great. They listened intently.
“I came here to tell you that being a refugee is not the end of life. In fact, it is the beginning of life, because as a refugee you have a lot of fruits hanging in this world,” said Kipchoge. “Do not treat yourself less because you are refugees, we are all equal as human beings, we are all athletes.”
These are a few examples of the mentorship initiatives Kipchoge has taken to ensure that the future generation is not starved of marathon champions. How long Kipchoge carries on with this is another topic but his achievements are worth celebrating and emulating.
