Eliud Kipchoge, a four-time record-holder and former world marathon record holder, recently announced that he will run the London Marathon in April.
The athlete will return to London for the first time since 2020. He was the Olympic marathon champion from 2016 to 2020 and maintains an unofficial world record as the only athlete to have completed a marathon distance in under two hours.
Kipchoge said: “I am excited to share that my next race will be the TCS London Marathon… It is a race that holds a very special place in my heart… After a good period of rest, I have returned to training with renewed energy and focus. I feel re-fuelled to give my very best in London.”
In a social media post, London Marathon stated: “THE GOAT RETURNS! 🐐 @kipchogeeliud, our historic four-time champion and the only human to run a sub two-hour marathon, will race the historic 45th edition of the TCS London Marathon on Sunday 27 April 2025. Welcome home, King! 👑”
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Who is Eliud Kipchoge?
The 40-year-old athlete from Kenya has won the World Marathon Majors series five times in a row. The World Marathon Majors series is the world’s top marathon competition with annual races held in Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago, and New York.
He held the men’s marathon world record from 2018 to 2023 before being overtaken by fellow countryman Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
Hugh Brasher, London Marathon CEO, admitted: “Eliud Kipchoge is the greatest marathon runner of this or any other age.”
He added: “Indeed, you could make a compelling case that his incredible stretch of dominance in marathon racing for such a lengthy period makes him the greatest athlete we have ever seen… His four victories here in London is a record in the elite men’s category and, after five years away, it’s so exciting to be welcoming him back… for our historic 45th edition.”
Kipchoge will compete against Abdi Nageeye, the winner of the most recent New York City Marathon, Milkesa Mengesha, the defending Berlin Marathon champion, and Sabastian Sawe, who won his first marathon in Valencia last month.
Source: CNA