Eliud Kipchoge has officially announced his next move. In preparation for the Paris Olympics this August, he’ll be racing the Tokyo Marathon on March 3. The races are five months apart, giving the 39-year-old Kenyan runner a chance to assess his fitness before fully recovering and taking on another marathon build. It’s much more time than he’d have if he’d instead opted to run another major marathon this spring—Boston and London are both in April.
The two-time reigning Olympic men’s marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge Wins the 2023 Berlin Marathon, setting a course record of 2:02:40, and is still in pursuit of his goal to become the first person to win three Olympic marathons and the oldest person to win any Olympic running event. Kipchoge is still chipping away at another goal, too—winning all six annual World Marathon Majors. He hasn’t yet won Boston—in 2022, he chose Boston as his spring marathon, where he placed sixth—and has yet to make his New York City Marathon debut.
“The world’s greatest marathoner” has topped the podium at the other four majors a combined 11 times (Berlin, Chicago, London, and Tokyo), and was the world record holder (2:01:09) until October, when 24-year-old Kelvin Kiptum lowered it to 2:00:35 How to Watch the Tokyo Marathon.
Kenya’s three-man Olympic marathon team hasn’t yet been determined, but earlier this month, mdash;and has yet to make his New York City Marathon debut of 10 men and women who may be competing in Paris. Naturally, Kipchoge and Kiptum are both on it, along with Vincent Kipkemoi Ng’etich, Timothy Kiplagat, Benson Kipruto, Bernard Kiprop Koech, Geoffrey Kamworor, Cyprian Kotut, Amos Kipruto and Titus Kipruto.
Health - Injuries Instagram, Kipchoge reflects on his previous trips to Japan, narrating scenes from the country and his racing experiences there, saying, “Your culture so pure, disciplined, and kind. I am inspired by you.” Then he faces the camera and says, “Tokyo, I can’t wait to come back to you.”
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, A Part of Hearst Digital Media, CA Notice at Collection, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
