T. NashipaeEliud Kipchoge returns to Tokyo keen to extend dominance
Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 29.02.24. | 08:16
The Tokyo Marathon, first of the six majors this year, will go down on Sunday from 3:10 AM EAT
Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge is in Japan, in readiness for the Tokyo Marathon, the first of the six major marathons in 2024.
The 17th edition of the marathon will be held on Sunday starting at 3:10 am - 10:10 am East Africa Time (EAT).
He is returning to Tokyo having won an Olympic gold medal on the streets of Sapporo at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 before setting a course record on his last entry in March 2022.
According to his communication team; Global Sports Communication, Kipchoge will be looking to start the race on a high, a performance he is looking to copy-paste in the remaining World Majors.
"Eliud, the world record-holder and the first man in history to run a sub-two-hour marathon-achieving the feat at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge - has spoken of his desire to compete and win all six Abbott World Marathon Majors, regarded as the world's top six marathon races," Global sports communication said.
THE GOAT IS BACK!🥰🇰🇪@EliudKipchoge has arrived in Tokyo giving us memories of his Tokyo 2020 Olympic Gold Medal.
— TeamKenya (@OlympicsKe) February 28, 2024
He’s back to reclaim his first Tokyo Marathon medal which he first won in 2022. pic.twitter.com/4aLkh3UIx3
Kipchoge took over a minute off the 2017 course record in his last visit to the race, running 2:02:40 to finish over 30 seconds clear of his nearest competitor and his win in the 2020 Olympic marathon in Sapporo was equally as dominant.
No athlete in history has won back-to-back-to-back Olympic marathon titles. He will be using this race as a springboard ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The 2003 World 5000m champion will head to the Japanese capital fresh off a record fifth win at last year’s Berlin Marathon. His time of 2:02:42 there means six of the ten fastest official marathons ever have been run by the Kenyan.
This will be Kipchoge’s 22nd marathon, with 18 wins so far including 11 Major Marathons. He has twice broken the world record, both times in Berlin, and in 2019 became the first runner in history to break the two-hour barrier as part of the INEOS 1:59 project in Vienna, running 1:59:40.
Other athletes from Kenya invited to participate in the Tokyo Marathon are Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich, Timothy Kiplagat, and Benson Kipruto.
They are set to face stiff competition from four Ethiopians - Hailemaryam Kiros, Andualem Belay, Tsegaye Getachew, and Chalu Deso.
Others in the race are Victor Kiplangat (USA) and six Japanese Kengo Suzuki, Ichitaka Tamashita, Kenya Sonota, Kyohei Hosoya, Kazuya Nishiyama, and Yohei Ikeda.
They will be running on a 42km course around Japan's capital starting at the Tokyo Metropolitan government building, with the finish line being the stage next to Tokyo station.
The women’s field features distance running great Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands and defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru of Kenya.
