Eliud Kipchoge: Kenyan marathon icon ‘inspires’ on world tour

To understand the significance of this moment, it is helpful to understand the scale of Kipchoge’s success.

In addition to those Olympic titles, Kipchoge’s honors included a world title, 11 major world marathon victories and two official world records.

In one of the sport’s most impressive feats, he became the first person to break the two-hour marathon barrier under special conditions in Vienna in 2019, recording an unofficial time of 1 hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds.

“If you look at the last 23 years, the highlight is making history,” he says.

“Not winning medals, not even breaking world records, but opening the minds of people all over the world to believe that they are not limited in anything they do.”

This belief became the basis for his next chapter.

The tour will operate under Eliud’s Running World programme, a long-term platform designed to promote participation in running while supporting global causes.

Each marathon will raise money for the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation, which focuses on education, environmental sustainability and health.

Kipchoge hopes to raise $1 million (£739,000) at each station, through projects tailored to local needs.

In Kenya, his vision includes building libraries in all 47 districts. In other cities, he wants the tour to leave behind tangible benefits, not just memories.

“I want to leave a legacy of education,” says Kipchoge.

“There is knowledge in books. If we want to reason with the outside world, we need to obtain knowledge and understand how others think.”

Running a marathon in the bitter cold of Antarctica is not something Kipchoge sees as a stunt, but rather a statement.

“It’s about pushing your limits,” he explains. “I want to show the world that you can still push your limits in anything, even in the most difficult circumstances.”

When asked if he puts too much pressure on himself, his answer was characteristically direct.

“Life is about keeping going,” he says.

“The moment you stop pushing, this is no longer life.”