The greatest marathoner in history pursued a philosophy of honest training, hard work, and always seeing himself as the best in order to push his limits.
In a rare opportunity, Runner's World caught up with Kipchoge at his Kaptagat training camp in Kenya, where the marathon legend trains. Kipchoge is usually there from Monday to Saturday, then travels 20 miles home on Sunday. After completing a long run in the morning and an easy run in the afternoon, Kipchoge took the time to chat about life, career, his failure at the Boston Marathon, and his plans for the future.
The world's fastest marathoner is affable, always talking about clean living, clean training and clean thinking. Kipchoge is a Catholic and enjoys reading inspirational books. When asked, his answers rarely stray from the themes of positive thinking and dedication.
- How do you feel about the 2023 Boston Marathon?
- I had a difficult day but this is sport, there will be wins and losses. I did not compete well. At the start everything was fine but my legs felt harder from kilometer 30. I told myself to still try to finish the race and accept whether the experience is good or bad. What is important is the lesson learned afterwards. The performance was not as expected but I felt the crowd was still very enthusiastic. This gave me more motivation.
I learn from every marathon, whether it is a success or a failure. I will look back at the race with my team, reflect and learn from it to be better prepared in the future.
Kipchoge reads a book between training sessions. Photo: Runner's World
- How was your week at training camp?
- I start my week with a long run on Monday, usually 1 hour and 20 minutes, followed by an easy run in the evening for an hour. Tuesday morning is 15 km, evening is an easy run for an hour. Wednesday is the same as Monday. Thursday is a long run of 30 or 40 km. Friday is the same as Wednesday. Saturday is a challenging day with a fartlek (high speed) session and an easy run. Sunday is just a long run of 25 - 30 km.
Nutritionally, I eat normal Kenyan food. I have beef and ugali (a traditional Kenyan porridge made from maize or corn flour) for dinner. Lunch is beans, potatoes and rice. Breakfast is bread and tea. I find the meals simple but balanced.
- Many people follow your training method but not everyone gets results. What advice do you have?
- I train many casual runners. They have limited time due to work and family responsibilities. In my opinion, if time allows, one hour a day is standard. If not, make sure to run three or four times a week and include a long run on the weekend. Two hours of easy running on the weekend helps the body rejuvenate and gives more energy for the new week.
One thing my coach - Patrick Sang said 20 years ago is still true: "see yourself as the best version of yourself". That's what I pursue. I respect the training process, respect everything. But when I start something, I always see myself as the best.
- Do you educate your children the same way you run?
- My children and I have different educational backgrounds. But I always explain that the reason I am away from home from Monday to Saturday is because I want to train hard, achieve results, and break world records so that my family can enjoy life. They must understand that their father works hard to have food to eat, clothes to wear, to get a good education, to live a happy and useful life.
I teach my children that if they work hard, they will achieve many things. When I work hard and win a tournament, they can be very happy because they can travel to many places, go to good schools and always have a comfortable life. Therefore, they must also work hard and consider it a responsibility.
- What if your son decides to follow in his father's footsteps?
- I will be happy. But if you choose to pursue tennis or become a soccer player, it's okay. I still support you. You have the freedom to choose. As time goes by, you will know what you like.
- You are a great athlete. Have you ever thought about this title? What is the price of fame?
- I do think about myself being the greatest marathoner but that's not important. What's more important is that I'm inspiring a lot of people around the world and that makes me happy.
But the price of fame is that there is a lot of pressure on my shoulders. I have pressure from race organizers, sponsors and fans. But I still have to keep trying. I want to be remembered as a person without limits. Above all, I want to make this world a world of runners. I will be a happy person if all citizens of the world can run.
- Doping is still a burning issue in sports. What do you think needs to change?
- For me, sports is a career and is built and developed slowly. When you rush to the gym, you cannot be muscular in just 10 hours but will become muscular if you practice continuously for 6 months. What I mean is, like making money, people should invest and wait for the money to come back slowly, not for immediate benefits but lacking sustainability.
It is a pity that many people do not understand. Doping is everywhere because it can bring financial benefits. People need to see sport as a profession and develop it gradually. The only way to get better is to train honestly and hard. If we are aware that what we are doing is good for ourselves and for the next generation, doping will gradually disappear. Treat yourself positively, treat sport positively and make money as a real profession.
- What do you want to achieve in the future?
- So many! I've never run in New York. I'll run in many other big cities, visit many countries. I might also run in Iceland, go to the Caribbean, and maybe one day run in Haiti.
- What will your life be like when your career ends?
- I would start mentoring the next generation, educating young people on many issues. It could be about investing, about life in general, about discipline, about the essentials of being a human being. We are all human beings, but you need to be a real human being and respect each other.
I will also be focusing on my foundation - Eliud Kipchoge - which is about education, conservation and health. Above all, I want to spread the message of positivity and running. I want to have more followers, about a billion followers on social media channels to help promote the idea of running. I always tell people that health is precious wealth, so people need to be healthy through running'.
Hoai Phuong (According to Runner's World)
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