Eliud Kipchoge reacts after worst-ever ranking in Tokyo Marathon
3rd March 2024
The Kenyan legend had to settle for position 10 in the 2024 Tokyo Marathon.
- Kipchoge faded badly at around the 20-kilometre (12-mile) mark and crossed the line in 2hr 6min 50sec.
- Kipruto won in a course record of 2:02:16.
- He finished ahead of countrymen Timothy Kiplagat (2:02:55) and Vincent Ngetich (2:04:18).
Former marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge has
broken his silence after failing to impress at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon which
was held early Sunday morning.
Kipchoge, who was the pre-race favorite, finished a distant
10th in 2:06.50 - one of the slowest times in his remarkable career.
His compatriot Benson Kipruto won the title in 2:02.16 and
in the process smashed the previous course record of 2:02.40 that was set by
Kipchoge during the 2022 edition.
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Timothy Kiplagat and Vincent Ngetich Kipkemoi, who are also
Kenyan citizens settled for second and third place positions in 2:02.16 and
2:02.55 respectively.
Kipchoge’s performance in the Japanese capital led to a lot
of discussions online with some athletic fans urging him to retire.
However, the man who has always believed that nothing is
impossible, did not show any intentions of hanging his running shoes in the
near future.
Kipchoge took time after the road race to assure his fans
that his marathon running story is not yet done through a brief social media
post.
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“I can only say that sport is about good and bad days.
Unfortunately today, was a bad day for me. I want to congratulate all the
participants who reached the finish line, all pursuing their own goals and
dreams,” read part of the statement from the two-time Olympic Games champion.
Furthermore, Kipchoge thanked his supporters from different
regions of the world for the love they continue to show him.
“Thank you Tokyo and the fans around the world for all of
your love and support. We take the lessons of today for the buildup of
tomorrow,” the statement ended.
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Kipchoge, who was born and raised in Nandi County, is
expected to bounce back in the much-awaited 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
In Paris, the double Olympic champion will be seeking to make
history by adding a third Olympic Games marathon title to his trophy-laden
career.
Should Kipchoge attain that feat, he will enter into history books as the first human being to secure three back-to-back Olympic Games titles.
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