Only months after he took a taxi to the finish line at the Paris Games, the world’s best marathon runner, Eliud Kipchoge, is scheduled to compete in a new event.
Back in August, under strange circumstances, the two-time Olympic gold medallist halted so that Ser-Od Bat-Ochir, who finished last, could pass him after 31 km.
As the audience applauded and clapped, he gave his shoes and socks to the spectators along the road before vanishing into an Olympic van—possibly the final sight of a legend at the Games.
Additionally, it seems the 40-year-old has shifted his focus to other competitions while rumours about his future as a marathon runner persist. Marca claims that because Kipchoge is an ambassador for Thailand, he will run a 10-kilometer event as part of the Bangkok Marathon.
The Kenyan will be participating in an official race other than a marathon for the first time since 2016.
“I have travelled to Asia a lot and share the great ambitions of growing athletics as a sport to make people happier and healthier,” Kipchoge stated in reference to his new endeavour.
Asian athletics has a lot of promise, and I’m excited to begin collaborating with Amazing Thailand to spread awareness of it throughout Asia. “A world of runners is a happy world, and this partnership helps me achieve my personal goals,” he stated, adding, “I have always said that I want to make this world a world of runners.” Kipchoge hailed a taxi to the finish line two months ago, ending his attempt to win three consecutive Olympic marathon titles before the event was even over in Paris.
After starting the 10k in the lead, Kipchoge fell back to about a minute behind the leaders at the halfway point. Ten runners failed to finish, including him.
Kipchoge had been hoping to become the first man to win three Olympic marathons
From 2018 until 2023, Kipchoge held the world record and aimed to become the first man to win three Olympic marathons. He had an incredible 10-race unbeaten streak in major marathons from 2014 to 2019. The veteran was a successful 5000-meter runner before turning to marathon running, winning silver in Beijing in 2008 and bronze in the Athens Games in 2004. After that, he won gold in Rio and Tokyo in quick succession.
