Kipchoge’s marathon world record edges closer to breaking the two-hour mark

In the flesh, Eliud Kipchoge is diminutive. At 1.67m tall and about 52kg, he is, physically, a small man. But in the world of running he is a giant who continues to break new ground even at the advanced age of 37.

The Kenyan double Olympic Marathon champion is not only the fastest man to date over 42.2km, he’s also the second- and third-fastest human over the distance.

On Sunday, 25 September the great Kenyan broke his own world record in winning the Berlin Marathon for a fourth time to draw level in terms of Berlin wins with Haile Gebrselassie. Kipchoge clocked 2:01:09 to shave 30 seconds off his previous world record mark, although he has gone faster.

In 2019, in near perfect conditions in the Austrian capital of Vienna, in an attempt specifically designed to break the elusive two-hour marathon mark, Kipchoge did it.

Backed by science, pacemakers and money from petrochemical giant Ineos and apparel manufacturer Nike, Kipchoge crossed the line of the carefully designed “race” in 1:59:40. He achieved running’s equivalent of the “moon landing”, as some put it.

The attempt and the time were acknowledged as barrier-breaking, but not as a world record by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, because it had not been achieved in a competitive race setting.

Which is why Kipchoge’s time in Berlin this past weekend was deemed an official world record even though it was 89 seconds slower than his Vienna run in 2019.

It was yet again a phenomenal display of talent, dedication, planning and execution, not only by Kipchoge, but also the team of people around him that ensures when he races, every aspect is optimal.

Kipchoge gradually shook off last year’s winner, Guye Adola, but fellow Ethiopian Andamlak Belihu refused to buckle, even as they raced through the halfway mark in under an hour.

Belihu finally dropped back at about the 27km mark as Kipchoge pushed on for the record.

The Kenyan, who retained his Olympic at the Tokyo Games last year, had fallen short of his world mark by just more than a minute at the Tokyo Marathon in March, but he was not to be denied in Berlin.

Having slowed slightly in the second half of the race, he still powered through the final 500m sprint.

Passing through the city’s iconic Brandenburg Gate just as the sun started to emerge, a beaming Kipchoge crossed the finish line to set another record.

Teamwork

Winning marathons at the elite level is no longer just about a runner setting off and hoping for the best – for a “good day”. Kipchoge, and his elite rivals, plan everything in microscopic detail.

Eliud Kipchoge on the podium after his Berlin Marathon triumph on 25 September 2022. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Filip Singer)

Kipchoge was assisted by pacemakers in the Berlin race, which is entirely within the rules. But unlike his Vienna run, in Berlin the pacemakers all started the race and dropped out at various stages. It was not relay pacemaking that had been used in the sub-two-hour race.

“I am happy with my preparation and I think I was so fast because of the teamwork,” Kipchoge said after the race. “Everything is down to teamwork.

“I planned to go out fast in the first half. I thought I would try to run fast. It was a marvellous performance. My legs and my body still feel young. But the most important thing is my mind, and that also feels fresh and young. I am so happy to break the world record.”

Only a few elite competitors and the team of handpicked pacemakers could stay with Kipchoge’s brutal sub-three-minute-per-kilometre pace from the outset.

Eliud Kipchoge celebrates after winning the 2022 Berlin Marathon. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Filip Singer)

Eliud Kipchoge clocked 2:01.09 at the Berlin Marathon. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Filip Singer)

But there were others that assisted him, such as the enthusiastic Berlin local Claus Henning Schulke, who was Kipchoge’s designated “waterboy”.

Schulke raced between the 11 watering stations on his bicycle to hand Kipchoge his packaged drinks. It was a strenuous undertaking, with Schulke sometimes only getting to the watering station under a minute before Kipchoge arrived.

But the German amateur triathlete and former marathon runner did his job with amazing gusto. Every time he successfully handed a bottle to the great Kenyan, Schulke’s reaction is priceless, as can be seen in the video below.

https://twitter.com/AMReportsHQ/status/1574066868146544641?s=20&t=A_z5SvOJ6fZQUhRvLM-v2g

In the immediate aftermath of winning Berlin Kipchoge deflected questions about running a sub-two-hour marathon in competition.

“Let us plan for another day. I need to celebrate this record and have to realise what happens. Just roll and see what happens,” he said.

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“There is still more in my legs. I hope the future is still great. My mind is still moving, the body is still absorbing the training.”

Read more in Daily Maverick: “Kipchoge’s feat was 60 years in the making”

But on a visit to Cape Town as a guest of the Laureus Foundation in March, he admitted the sub-two-hour mark was possible.

“I think the first thing is the mind, to accept and move to a sub-two-hour in a normal marathon. I need to actually control my mind and push it again – maybe encourage other people to push their limits also and run under two hours.”

Maturity

As Kipchoge has matured and won the titles and accolades, he’s also come to realise that his achievements can be a force for good in the world. Like a training run or a race, he doesn’t want to waste a second.

“Sport has its own unique language – sport can talk to the youth, to the woman, to the man and children in a different way. Sport is the way to go in this world,” he told Daily Maverick in March when he was in Cape Town.

But sport also has a lure for the elite. It tugs at athletes’ egos – even someone without any obvious arrogance or ego as Kipchoge. You don’t rise to the top of the world without self-belief and an iron will to win.

Despite his friendly and sincere demeanour, Kipchoge has made a career of crushing the hopes and dreams of his rivals. He still intends to run the Olympic marathon in Paris 2024 where he’ll have the chance to become the first man in history to win three consecutive gold medals in the event.

Eliud Kipchoge crosses the finishing line of the Berlin Marathon. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Filip Singer)

He doesn’t run often – only two marathon races a year – preferring to peak at the right moment. He won the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year and hasn’t confirmed when or if he’ll run again this year.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “Eliud Kipchoge’s race is far from run as he aims to continue inspiring the world”

Following Berlin, he has only competed in 17 competitive marathons in his career, winning 15. He has won four out of the six “marathon majors” – Tokyo, London, New York, Boston, Chicago and Berlin.

Kipchoge has not won New York and Boston because he hasn’t competed in those races.

He has stated that he wants to win them all before he’s done, which has fuelled speculation that he will compete in New York in November and Boston in 2023.

Sadly, the Cape Town Marathon on 16 October is not in his immediate plans.

“Cape Town, it is my future plan to come and run here. I want to run more than that marathon – maybe to run 52km here in Cape Town (the Two Oceans Marathon), and to feel that joy when you run for a very long time.” DM