Eliud Kipchoge

From 5,000 m to the marathon, he never hit the brakes!

Eliud Kipchoge was born on November 5, 1984 in Kenya 🇰🇪. He hasn’t been running since yesterday. He started out in the 5,000 m, winning a bronze medal 🥉 at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and a silver medal in Beijing in 2008 🥈. After not being selected for the 2012 London Olympics, he made the switch to the marathon. He ran his first half marathon in 59’25 in Lille and won his first marathon in Hamburg in 2:05 in 2013 🇩🇪.

A trophy cabinet that’ll make your calves tremble

Hold on tight: Eliud Kipchoge is a two-time Olympic marathon champion (Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021) 🥇. In September 2022, he set the marathon world record in 2:01:09 in Berlin, a feat celebrated worldwide. He would be beaten a year later by Kelvin Kiptum (2:00:35 in Chicago). But wait, that’s not all. In 2017, during the Breaking2 project launched by Nike, he came close to the mythical two-hour barrier with a time of 2:00:25. In 2019, he became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours, clocking 1:59:40 at the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in Vienna. The time wasn’t ratified, but seriously… running a marathon faster than your Sunday jog + coffee included? ☕ Either way, he paved the way: in April 2026, Sabastian Sawe became the first to officially go under 2 hours, with 1:59:30 at the London Marathon.

No magic potion—just a simple lifestyle 🧘. His fuel is a local diet made up of vegetables, fruit, beans, and Kenyan tea 🫛. His training is structured, up to 200 to 230 km per week. He does long runs, interval sessions, and well-integrated recovery. For more than 20 years, he has been coached by Patrick Sang, who has made him a model of consistency and performance.

A trip around the world in 7 marathons 🌍

Since 2024, the times have been less crazy: a DNF at the Paris Olympics, then 6th in London, 9th in Sydney, and 17th in New York in 2025. But Eliud hasn’t said his last word! He launches “Eliud’s World Tour”: 7 marathons on 7 continents in two years, to raise awareness about education and sustainable development 📚. First stop: the Cape Town Marathon in May 2026 (16th), his very first marathon on African soil, then Porto Alegre in Brazil in July (12th). Next stop: Melbourne, on October 11, 2026 🇦🇺.

A mindset to follow: “No human is limited”

This quote sums up his philosophy 📖. For him, anyone can push their limits through hard work, patience, and determination. This message doesn’t apply only to sport. It inspires all runners to aim for a better version of themselves.

Why are we telling you about him on Finishers? 🩵

Because here, we know the real race is the one against yourself. And Kipchoge is the embodiment of that going-beyond. Whether you take 2 hours or 6 hours to finish a marathon, every finisher is a hero 🦸. So yeah, you might never beat his time, but you can draw inspiration from his discipline, his mindset, and above all his smile at the finish line 🏁.