Kipchoge has not considered retiring

39-year-old legendary Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge has said he has no plans to retire in the near future, and is aiming to win a third consecutive gold medal at Paris 2024.

"The moment you retire, that's the end of you," Kipchoge said when asked about his retirement plans during a meeting with members of the local business community at Kericho Golf Club on November 17. "Don't retire. Don't encourage others to retire. After you go to the office, go home and rest. After you work hard, enjoy your days off."

Kipchoge speaks at a meeting of local businesses at Kericho Golf Club on November 17. Photo: Nation Media Group

Kipchoge, 39, is considered the greatest marathoner of all time and has broken two world records. His first was 2 hours 1 minute 39 seconds at the Berlin Marathon in 2018, before he lowered it to 2 hours 1 minute 9 seconds also in Berlin in 2022.

But at the 2023 Chicago Marathon on October 8, Kelvin Kiptum broke Kipchoge's record by winning in 2 hours, 0 minutes, 35 seconds, 34 seconds faster than his compatriot's old mark. Kiptum is only 23 years old and has only run 42km three times, but he currently holds three of the six best records in history.

Kipchoge has set his sights on winning a gold medal in the Paris 2024 Olympic marathon. If he does, he will become the first athlete to win three marathon gold medals in three consecutive Olympics. Kipchoge won Tokyo 2020 in 2 hours 8 minutes 38 seconds, then Rio 2016 in 2 hours 8 minutes 44 seconds. "It's a great feeling to run with your country's flag because it makes you proud. It shows you're sweating for your country," the 39-year-old runner said.

Kipchoge said his best moment was winning gold at Rio 2016. The marathon was the final event of the event and the Kenyan national anthem was played as Kipchoge walked up to the podium, bringing the Games to a close. "It was the last event and the Kenyan national anthem was the last one played," he said. "Everyone stood in the stadium and sang the national anthem. I believe all the Kenyans watching were happy and proud of my performance. It changed the way people looked at me and gave the country a different status."

Kipchoge revealed that confidence is one of the most important aspects of his career. The Kenyan runner stressed that he always believed in his training and his teammates, which motivated him to reach important milestones. "Self-belief is very important and I have full faith in myself, my teammates and my training. That is what pushes me to overcome barriers," he said.

Kipchoge on a morning run in Iten, Kenya on November 27. Photo: NN Running

In addition to two Olympic gold medals, Kipchoge has also won 11 major championships, including four in London (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019), four in Berlin (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023), once in Chicago (2014) and Tokyo (2021). He was also the first athlete to run a sub-2 marathon when he reached 1 hour 59 minutes 40 seconds in the Ineos 1:59 event in Vienna, Austria in October 2019. However, that achievement was not recognized by World Athletics as a record because the runner born in 1984 competed in controlled conditions, such as no opponents and a rotating team of pacers.

"No human being is limited," Kipchoge stressed. "Anyone can go beyond their limits and their thinking. My advice to those who are trying to break their limits is to believe in yourself. Who sets the limits?"

Hong Duy

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