Eliud Kipchoge reveals his next plan after retiring from Olympics

Arguably the greatest marathoner ever to grace the land, Eliud Kipchoge has announced that the Paris Olympics was his last, marking the end of an illustrious Olympic career.

The 39-year-old marathon legend, who has secured two Olympic marathon gold medals, will not be heading to Los Angeles 2028 as an athlete. Unfortunately, this final outing in Paris was one he will likely want to forget as soon as possible.

Kipchoge's race ended abruptly when he pulled out after the 31km mark, a shocking turn of events for someone who was being backed to win his third marathon. He had to be ferried to the finish line by a taxi.

Many across the globe too speculated that the marathoner would call it a day after the disappointing performance. Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia won the race, while Belgium’s Bashir Abdi came in second. Benson Kipruto secured a podium place for Kenya with a bronze medal.

Despite the speculation about his future, Kipchoge was quick to dismiss any suggestions of immediate retirement. In his post-race interview on Saturday, the decorated marathoner described the race as his worst ever, noting that it was the first time in his accolades-laden career that he had failed to complete a race.

“It is a difficult time for me. This is my worst marathon. I have never done a DNF (did not finish). That’s life. Like a boxer, I have been knocked down, I have won, I have come second, eighth, 10th, fifth – now I did not finish. That’s life,” he told the Olympics media.

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When asked about his plans for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Kipchoge confirmed that he would be present but in a different capacity, not as a competitor. He shared that he plans to return home and take time to reflect on his two-decades-long career.

"I will be in the Olympics in another capacity, on motivating people on giving hope to Kenyans and to the whole world. Life is about hope, Olympics is not only about winning medals it's about participation. You represent your country and continent then you now compete to earn medals," said Kipchoge.

The 39-year-old however allayed fears that he will retire from running altogether, revealing that he will take time to restrategize before deciding his next race. He also noted that Kenya's future in marathon running is in great hands.

"I respect those who say you cannot handle two things at the same time. Paris was a rabbit, I need to go back and check for another rabbit which means I will go back to the drawing board and see what opportunities are there for me to grab.

The future is great, they are the best athletes, Kenya has a lot of disciplined and energetic athletes, and the future is bright as far as I'm concerned," added Kipchoge.

Many across the world will be waiting for his next race with the hope that he bounces back from the woeful Paris outing.

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