Eliud Kipchoge sets sights on Ksh903 million in new ambitious project
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 24.12.25. | 14:25
At the heart of the project is the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation, which supports access to education and environmental sustainability
Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge recently unveiled an ambitious charity-driven project that could raise millions of dollars for education and environmental causes across the globe.
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The two-time Olympic marathon champion has announced the Eliud Kipchoge World Tour, a bold initiative that will see him run seven marathons across seven continents over the next two years.
Beyond competition, the tour is designed to unite the world through running.
At the heart of the project is the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation, which supports access to education and environmental sustainability.
Kipchoge revealed that he hopes to raise at least one million dollars from each marathon (approximately Ksh129 million), funds that will go towards building libraries and supporting learning and environmental projects in Kenya and in every host city on the tour.
“I am expecting and hoping to raise a million dollars in every marathon, to build libraries in every county across Kenya, and in every city that I will be running during the marathon,” Kipchoge told BBC Sport.
The Foundation was launched in 2020 and focuses on providing access to education and promoting environmental conservation. Local initiatives in host countries will benefit from the events, including school libraries, learning programs, and environmental restoration efforts.
The tour marks the first major venture under Eliud’s Running World, a long-term platform through which the Kenyan icon aims to inspire participation in running while raising awareness for global causes. Kipchoge insisted the move does not signal retirement, but rather evolution.
“What I am doing is not retiring. It’s trying to evolve, trying to go to another life where I am no longer chasing the medals and world records, but running for a purpose,” he said.
Kipchoge is widely regarded as one of the greatest marathon runners of all time. However, his recent competitive years have been challenging.
The 41-year-old has not finished on the podium since his 2:02:42 victory at the 2023 Berlin Marathon, a year before the late Kelvin Kiptum lowered the world record to 2:00:35 in Chicago.
The 2023 Boston Marathon produced the slowest time of his career at 2:09:23, though he rebounded later that year with victory in Berlin.
In 2024, he finished 10th at the Tokyo Marathon, his worst result at a major, and was forced to withdraw from the Paris Olympics due to waist pain.
Despite those setbacks, Kipchoge has continued to compete.
This year, he raced in Sydney, finishing ninth, and made his long-awaited debut at the New York City Marathon, placing 17th in what became his final elite race.
Even without a podium finish, New York marked a symbolic milestone. Kipchoge joined more than 4,000 runners who have completed all seven World Marathon Majors: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, Sydney, and New York, and was inducted into the Seven Star Hall of Fame.
New York in November provided a fitting backdrop as the curtains gently closed on one of the most remarkable marathon careers the sport has known. Kipchoge’s most successful major remains Berlin, where he has won five times, including two world-record-breaking performances.
“I consider breaking the world barrier and making people believe in themselves as my strongest legacy. When anybody thinks of me, they think of pushing their limits,” he said with satisfaction.
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