Grace Sugut Is Running Her Second Marathon With Eliud Kipchoge, and This One’s in Brazil

Six weeks after finishing her first marathon in Cape Town with Eliud Kipchoge at her side, Grace Sugut is doing it again. The Kipchoges will both race the NB42k Porto Alegre Marathon in southern Brazil on July 12, 2026.

For Grace, it will be her second marathon in less than two months. For Eliud, it is the second stop on a world tour that will take him to all seven continents. Cape Town was the first, on May 24, where he finished 16th and paced his wife through her 4:29:59 debut. Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America, and Antarctica are all still to come.

“I am helping her with some tips as far as the mind is concerned on how to handle the mileage, and she is coping in a good way with the training I must say,” Kipchoge said Wednesday during a virtual press conference from his home in Eldoret, as first reported by Olympics.com.

Porto Alegre carries some weight for him. It will be Kipchoge’s first race in Brazil since he won gold at Rio 2016. His winning time that day, 2:08:44, is still the fastest marathon ever run on Brazilian soil. He is unlikely to threaten it this time. Like Cape Town, this stop is about presence, not pace.

“My main reason for [going] to Brazil is mainly to be near the fans for the five days I will be there,” Kipchoge said. “My transition from competing for Big-City Marathons, competing for world records and for medals, to now running for a purpose has been a beautiful thing for me. I am happy about it and have no regrets at all.”

At 41, Kipchoge is spending less time at the Global Sports Communication camp in Kaptagat, where he built a 23-year career that includes two Olympic marathon golds. He says he is now going to camp only about twice a week.

“I am now more focused on inspiring and training young people,” he said. “It’s time I gave back to the younger generation. My 23-year career is older than most of the people running at the moment.”

Coaching, though, is off the table. Asked whether it might be the next step, he was direct.

“My answer is no. I want to inspire more people than coach people. Coaching means I would concentrate on five or 10 people. I want to inspire millions.”

Between now and race day, he plans to catch a World Cup match. He named Vinícius Júnior and Neymar as favorites, and said he met Kaká at the Berlin Marathon in 2022. He is, he said, “crossing my fingers for Brazil.”