Eliud Kipchoge has become a household name not just among marathon runners and recreational runners, but also infiltrating the world of non-runners who are still interested in the best athletes in the world.
The now 38-year-old Kenyan became a household name after his tremendous performance in Nike’s Breaking2 Project back in 2017, though he had already proven his dominance in the global running scene for the prior 14 years.
As the current world record holder in the marathon, Eliud Kipchoge has consistently proven himself to be not only the current fastest marathon runner in the world, but also the fastest marathon runner in history to date.
Although Eliud Kipchoge had a tough day and subpar performance (for his caliber and based on his stated Boston Marathon race goals) at the 2023 Boston Marathon this past April, finishing in sixth place with a time of 2:09:23, he is proving that you can’t let a disappointing race performance hold you back.
Instead, Eliud Kipchoge has been hard at work, doing what he does best: putting in the miles and workouts training to be the best marathoner he can be and to take down titles and records whenever he can.
Kipchoge has just announced that he will put his marathon training to the test as he takes another stab at the 2023 BMW Berlin Marathon, which is scheduled for Sunday, September 24, 2023.
The notoriously-fast Berlin Marathon course is where Eliud Kipchoge set the current marathon world record last year, and where the past eight men’s marathon world records have been set.
Kipchoge ran an impressive 2:01:09 at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, breaking his own previous marathon world record time (set in 2018) of 2:01:39 by 30 seconds.
Eliud Kipchoge said that running the Berlin Marathon this coming September will be a good testing ground for his marathon training in preparation for striving to win his third Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The Berlin Marathon course offers a flat and fast opportunity for not only world-record-setting performances, but also for replicating the marathon race experience he would like to execute at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
If Kipchoge successfully breaks the tape yet again at the 2023 BMW Berlin Marathon, he will become the first athlete in history to win this Abbott World Marathon Major five times.
He is currently tied with Haile Gebrselassie, as both superstar marathon runners have four marathon victories in Germany’s capital city marathon.
Another full-circle moment that will come if Kipchoge wins the 2023 Berlin Marathon is that it will mark the 20-year anniversary that he won his first international title, taking the gold medal in the 5000m at the 2003 World Championships in Paris.
Although the full elite field for the 2023 BMW Berlin Marathon has yet to be announced, it looks like Kipchoge will face fellow Kenyan compatriot and 2022 London Marathon champion Amos Kipruto. Kipruto has a marathon PR of 2:03:13. The 2023 London Marathon winner, Kelvin Kiptum, another Kenyan marathon runner, may also toe the line in Berlin.
Kipruuto won the 2023 London Marathon in April in 2:01:25, so he’s right on Eliud Kipchoge’s heels in terms of his marathon personal best time.
It should be a great race!
As for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kipchoge could have an amazing opportunity to take another global title—a third Olympic victory—in the same city where he emerged as the international competitor he has continued to be.
You can learn more about the upcoming 2023 BMW Berlin Marathon here.
Follow Kipchoge in his pursuit of marathon records on his Instagram here.
