KENYAN long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge is no stranger to smashing world records.
But what’s the latest achievement the elite athlete has under his belt? We take a look, below.
Who is Eliud Kipchoge?
Eliud Kipchoge is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in marathons and formerly the 5000 metres.
The athlete was born on 5 November 1984 in Kapsisiywa, Nandi District of Kenya.
Kipchoge’s world record run at the 2018 Berlin Marathon broke the previous world record by 1 minute and 18 seconds.
It was the greatest improvement in a marathon world record time since 1967.
When he was just 18, he became the senior 5000 m world champion at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics with a championships record.
He then followed with an Olympic bronze for Kenya in 2004 and a bronze at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
He switched to road running in 2012 and made the second-fastest ever half marathon debut with 59:25 minutes.
The Olympic champ, who won the London Marathon for the fourth time earlier this year, missed out as part of Nike’s Breaking 2 project at the Monza grand prix circuit in Italy two years ago.
But he believed the favourable climate, excellent air quality and almost completely flat terrain in Vienna will help him run to victory.
Kipchoge now lives with his wife and three children in Eldoret, Kenya.
What did he achieve in Vienna?
Kipchoge made history in 2019 by becoming the first person to run a gruelling marathon in under two hours.
The 34-year-old smashed his target by 20 seconds to complete the race in 1:59:40 after missing out by just 25 seconds in his first bid two years ago.
The Kenyan, who is considered to be the greatest marathon runner of all-time, took part in the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in Vienna today.
He ran at 13mph and a 1km pace of two-minute 50-seconds – the average speed of traffic in central London is 7mph.
But his feat will not stand as an official record because it is not in open competition and it uses rotating pacesetters.
His 41-strong team protected from any head wind, ensure he is on schedule and supply him with drinks as he ran 4.4 laps of a flat, 9.6km circuit.
There was also a green laser to show Kipchoge where he needed to be in order to beat the record.
Kipchoge somehow managed to continue running after the race as he met jubilant crowds who had cheered him on for the final sprint.
Despite not being considered a world record, the bid will still make history – with no one ever running 26.2 miles quicker than 1:59.
An average runner completes a sub four-hour marathon – with just two per cent of the global running community ever making the distance in under three hours.
Kipchoge has been training for six months to prepare for today’s marathon at The Prater.
What’s his net worth?
Kipchoge has picked up a lot of cheques after beating many world records in his career.
In Berlin, he received £38,000 for his extraordinary performance.
He also pocketed £534,000 for a setting a new world record.
The elite athlete also took home £39,000 by winning the 2019 London Marathon.
His income is also supplemented through his sponsorship deal with Nike.
Figures from Whownskenya.com show Kipchoge’s overall net worth sits at an estimated £2.4million.
Why is he not competing in the London Marathon 2021?
Kipchoge will sadly not be in London on October 2 to try win back his London crown.
He ruled himself out of the race earlier in the year to concentrate on the Olympics, where he won Gold in Tokyo.
That win made him an Olympic champion for a second time and don’t rule him returning to the UK next year for another shot at the London Marathon.
Source: Athletics - thesun.co.uk
