Patrick Sang nurtured arguably two of the most dominant athletes in history.
Patrick Sang, a Kenyan steeplechase legend, has played an instrumental role in shaping two of the most dominant distance runners in history, Eliud Kipchoge and Faith Kipyegon.
A former Olympian himself, Sang won silver in the 3000m steeplechase at the 1992 Olympics and also claimed silver medals at the 1991 World Championships and the 1993 World Championships.
Pulse Sports takes a look at the journey of the Kenyan coach to nurturing to of the greatest athletes in history.
Who is Eliud Kipchoge’s coach?
Patrick Sang is widely recognized as the coach of Eliud Kipchoge, who has cemented his place as one of the greatest marathon runners of all time.
Sang first encountered Kipchoge as a 16-year-old athlete in Nandi County, Kenya. Having retired in 1998, Sang saw Kipchoge’s immense potential early on.
“I gave him a two-week training programme and off he went. He came back two weeks later and said, ‘what’s next?’ and that’s where it all began,” Sang recalled in an interview with Olympics.com.
Under Sang’s guidance, Kipchoge won his first gold medal at the 2003 World Championships in the 5000m.
His legendary career has since seen him compete in five Olympic Games, winning four Olympic medals, 5000m bronze at Athens 2004, 5000m silver at Beijing 2008, and marathon gold at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
Additionally, Kipchoge has clinched five Berlin Marathon titles and four London Marathon titles.
He previously held the marathon world record before the late Kelvin Kiptum broke it in October 2023 at the Chicago Marathon, running 2:00:35, 34 seconds faster than Kipchoge’s mark.
Who coaches Faith Kipyegon?
Patrick Sang also coaches Faith Kipyegon, having joined her camp in 2019 after the birth of her daughter, Alyn.
Balancing motherhood and elite competition seemed a challenge, but with Sang’s mentorship, Kipyegon made a seamless transition back to the track.
Returning to major competition at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 2021, Kipyegon defended her Olympic title in the 1500m, setting a new Games record of 3:53.11.
In 2024, she made history by becoming the first athlete, male or female, to win back-to-back Olympic golds in the 1500m, securing victory at the Paris Games.
Looking ahead, Kipyegon has hinted at a transition to longer distances, a move Sang fully supports.
“Whatever the outcome in this journey, whether it goes all the way to the marathon – we will be happy. We still want to see her more on the track, and she will probably end up where that dream is: running a marathon,” Sang told World Athletics.
As they look to 2025, Sang, Kipchoge, and Kipyegon remain focused on extending their dominance.
Kipchoge is eyeing a record-extending fifth London Marathon title, while Kipyegon could follow in Kipchoge’s footsteps by exploring longer distances.
