Sports
Eliud Kipchoge, Professional Long-Distance Runner Breaks The Marathon World Record
(CTN News) – In the Berlin Marathon, Eliud Kipchoge set a new world record by clocking 2:11:09 to beat his previous record time of 2:101:39 that he achieved in the German capital last year by setting a new world record.
Runner Eliud Kipchoge, 37 and a two-time Olympic champion, won his 15th marathon in 17 attempts to cement his place in history as the greatest runner over 26.2 miles.
There was something wrong with his pace. After running an unprecedented 59:51 for the first 13.1 miles, Eliud Kipchoge slowed in the final miles, clocking 61:18 for the second half. Although he lost to Kenyan Mark Korir by 4:49, he still won.
“I planned on going through the halfway point at 60:50, 60:40,” Eliud Kipchoge said. As a matter of fact, my legs were running very fast. All in all, I’m happy with my performance, especially since I only tried to run two hours flat.
In the first half, we went too fast. The muscles are used up as a source of energy. My legs are still strong enough [to possibly lower the record again].
Find out more about the Berlin Marathon results and Eliud Kipchoge
The Ethiopian Tigist Assefa won the women’s race in 2:15:37, the third-fastest time in history for someone who had run one marathon in 2:34:01. In Chicago in 2019, Brigid Kosgei has run a 2:14:14 and Paula Radcliffe has run a 2:15:25.
Despite entering as the top seed, American record holder Keira D’Amato finished sixth in 2:21:48. With nearly a decade between competitive races after college, D’Amato holds the American record of 2:19:12, and he now has the 10th-best time in U.S. history.
According to Race Results Weekly, she said in a text message: “Today wasn’t my best day, but it was the best I could do.” She briefly stopped and walked late in the race.
Berlin’s pancake-flat roads have broken the men’s marathon world record eight times in the past decade. Kenyan Paul Tergat set the record in 2003 when he ran under 2:05.
Until Kipchoge broke the record for the first time four years ago, the world record stood at 2:02:57, set by Kenyan Dennis Kimetto in 2014.
As a non-record-eligible showcase rather than a race, Kipchoge became the first person to run 26.2 miles in under two hours.
In Paris in 2024, Kipchoge plans to become the first runner to win three Olympic marathon titles. Additionally, he hopes to win all the major marathons around the world. Four of them have been checked off, but Boston (run in April) and New York City (run every November) are not.
A farmer by trade, Eliud Kipchoge was often seen selling milk at the local market by bike, which he used to haul from Kapsabet in the Rift Valley of Kenya.
Having been raised by a nursery school teacher, he ran to and from school more than three miles each day. Getting his first pair of running shoes took him five months to save up for.
He won the 2003 World 5000m title on the track at 18, upsetting legends Hicham El Guerrouj and Kenenisa Bekele.
Following his failure to make the 2012 Olympic team on track, he moved to the marathon and won two Olympic medals (bronze in 2004 and silver in 2008).
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