If there’s one elite marathon runner who has become essentially a household name, it’s the incredible Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge.
Kipchoge first made his debut in the elite marathon scene a decade ago at the 2013 Hamburg Marathon. Before ever taking on the 26.2-mile distance—which has since seemingly become his sweet spot—Kipchoge was a champion 5000-meter runner on the track.
Over the past ten years since becoming a marathon runner, Kipchoge has amassed an impressive 15 wins in 17 starts, marking an incredible 88 percent victory rate.
Kipchoge has won two Olympic gold medals and has two world records to his name, the latest of which was in September 2022, where he set the new marathon world record of 2:01:09 at the Berlin Marathon.
In his impressive performance, Kipchoge shaved a whopping 30 seconds off his own previous marathon world record.
He is also the first runner to ever break the 2-hour barrier in the marathon in Vienna in 2019.
Though not an official marathon world record performance due to the conditions and having pacers, this sub-2-hour marathon time is certainly one of the most awe-inspiring feats in any running event.
In short, Kipchoge is nearly indisputably the best marathon runner ever.
The Boston Marathon still looms as a major marathon where Kipchoge would like to make his mark and demonstrate his oeuvre as the dominant runner he is known to be.
Kipchoge has yet to earn a victory at this Abbott World Major Marathon.
The Boston Marathon, which is the oldest continuous running marathon in the world, is one of six world marathon majors, alongside the Chicago, New York City, London, Berlin, and Tokyo Marathons.
Kipchoge has broken the tape several times at Berlin, and has also had victories at the London Marathon, Chicago Marathon, and the Tokyo Marathon.
Upon winning Tokyo last year, Kipchoge said, “After winning my second Olympic Gold medal in Japan last summer, I returned to Tokyo to run a strong race. And this is what I meant with a strong race, 2:02 victory and a new course record. I’m proud to now have won 4 out of the 6 Abbott World Marathon Major races.”
If Kipchoge takes the win at the 2023 Boston Marathon, only the New York City Marathon will remain on the list of Abbott Marathon Majors he has left to take the crown.
Furthermore, Kipchoge holds the course records in Berlin (2:01:09, 2022), London (2:02:37, 2019), and Tokyo (2:02:40, 2022).
Another reason that the Boston Marathon stands as even more of a big checkbox waiting to be ticked off Kipchoge’s bucket list is that it will give him a chance to prove to the most critical and dubious critics that he has the legs to win on a hilly course.
The infamous Boston Marathon course is among the hilliest—if not the hilliest—major marathons in the word, and most of Kipchoge’s stellar performances and big wins have been on relatively flat, fast courses.
On December 1, 2022, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) announced that Kipchoge would be among the elite field running the 2023 Boston Marathon on April 17.
While the world of distance runners and everyday individuals who are Kipchoge fans may see the Boston Marathon as just another chance to publicly see the amazing runner cover a 26.2-mile course, for Kipchoge, the Boston Marathon will provide an opportunity to challenge himself and prove his dominance on a hillier course.
But, as might be expected from such a superstar runner, Kipchoge isn’t just looking to win the Boston Marathon on April 17, he’s hoping to break the course record of 2:03:02, which has been held since 2011 by fellow Kenyan runner Geoffrey Mutai.
Although the Boston course is hilly, if anyone can do it, it seems that Eliud Kipchoge would be the runner who is up for the task.
Reportedly, he’s been training on hilly courses in Kenya to replicate the topography of the Boston course and if we’ve seen anything over the past decade of watching Kipchoge take to the streets, when he sets his heart and mind on something, he will get it done.
Be sure to tune in on April 17, 2023, to watch Kipchoge and the other nearly 30,000 runners take on the Boston Marathon.
