Eliud Kipchoge may be on his retirement tour, running various marathons around the world, including the Marathon Majors and today, the Melbourne Marathon, which, at the ripe age of 41, he won.
The dsm-firmenich Running Team athlete produced a dominant display to stop the clock in a course-record 2:09:08 and clinch the 17th marathon victory in his incomparable career. Featuring as part of his groundbreaking global initiative, Eliud’s Running World, the two-time Olympic marathon champion looked relaxed and composed from the outset, even allowing himself the occasional thumbs-up to the crowd, which packed the streets in Melbourne to watch the action unfold.
Kipchoge led a three-strong lead group through halfway in 64:18, leading into the second half of the race. Australian Thomas Do Canto was the first to crack, dropping off the pace around 22km, and the race developed into a two-way battle between the Kenyan and home athlete James Whelan. Maintaining a relentless tempo, Kipchoge made his winning move a little before 27km. Quickly opening up a gap on Whelan, he enjoyed the final 15km of the race running in splendid isolation.
Roared on by the enthusiastic supporters, the Kenyan great crossed the finish line to claim another historic victory inside the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), host of the 1956 Olympic Games.
A delighted Kipchoge said, “Today was such a special day, not only running my third World Tour, but also winning in a new race record. It makes me proud to run with the younger generation and inspire the running community in Melbourne. Today was about more than sport. It was about the energy of the city, the huge support along the race route, running alongside so many other runners, and a stunning finish at the MCG. No words can describe that feeling. Thank you, Melbourne.”
Kipchoge is a two-time Olympic Champion, and two-time former world record holder, having run 2:01:39 and 2:01:09 at the 2018 and 2022 Berlin Marathons. Fourteen times he has run sub-2:07. Eleven times he has won a Marathon Major event, including five times in Berlin, four times in London, and once each in Tokyo and Chicago.
Kipchoge earned $25,000 Australian dollars for the win. The Australian dollar is worth 70 percent value in comparison to the US dollar, therefore he earned $17,460.00 USD.
