Kenya 's Eliud Kipchoge says competing with reigning marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum will not affect his ambition to win a third consecutive Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024.
Kipchoge and Kiptum are both on the preliminary list of Kenya's athletics team for Paris 2024. The two athletes are said to have a rivalry and compete in terms of personal achievements, after Kipchoge did not publicly congratulate Kiptum for setting a new world record of 2 hours 0 minutes 35 seconds at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Kipchoge did not even mention his junior's name in subsequent events, when asked about this achievement.
However, Kipchoge denied that he had any rivalry with Kiptum and wanted to unite to bring the highest results for Kenya at Paris 2024. "I am happy for him and it would be great to compete together in Paris because quality athletes will help improve Kenya's chances of winning more medals," The Star - a daily newspaper in Nairobi, Kenya - quoted the 39-year-old runner.
Kiptum, with a new record of 2 hours 35 seconds, and Kipchoge, with 2 hours 1 minute 9 seconds, currently own the two best marathon parameters in the world. Photo: Marca
Kipchoge is aiming to become the first athlete to win three marathon gold medals in three consecutive Olympics. He won the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo marathons with times of 2 hours 8 minutes 44 seconds and 2 hours 8 minutes 38 seconds respectively.
To prepare for this historic feat, Kipchoge will compete in the 2024 Tokyo Marathon on March 3. The 1984-born runner sees the major race in Tokyo as the perfect warm-up for Paris and holds many memorable memories. In addition to winning an Olympic gold medal, Kipchoge also set a race record of 2 hours 2 minutes 40 seconds in his only previous Tokyo Marathon appearance in 2021.
"The last few weeks have been very hard training," Kipchoge said of the preparations. "There are only 37 days left until the big day and I'm looking forward to a good performance in Tokyo. I can say that the preparation for Tokyo has been a great journey. I believe I still have enough energy to complete the job."
Kipchoge (in orange cap) during a training session in Eldoret, Kenya on February 1. Photo: NN Running
Tokyo is also one of four majors Kipchoge has won, along with four London titles (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019), four Berlin titles (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023) and one Chicago title (2014). He has only failed to win Boston and New York – two steeper courses – in the six World Marathon Majors (WMM) series.
Meanwhile, Kiptum will warm up for Paris by competing in the Rotterdam Marathon - a non-WMM event - on April 14. The Kenyan runner has repeatedly spoken of his ambition to become the first person to break the sub-2 mark - running a marathon (42.195km) in under 2 hours in an official race - at the event in the Netherlands.
In addition to his intense training schedule, Kiptum has also limited his family visits to focus on his ambition to break the sub-2 mark. The Kenyan runner is married to Asenath Rotich, has two children, and said his family supports his decision. "I only see my wife once a week. It's a completely voluntary choice, with her consent, to focus fully on the goal," he told Gazzetta dello Sport on December 29.
Hong Duy
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