I was not suprised to see Kelvin Kiptum break marathon record-Eliud Kipchoge
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 21.10.23. | 14:05
The 38-year-old, who is also a two-time Olympic champion over the 42.2km (26.2 mile) marathon distance, held the world record since September 2018.
Multiple Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge says he wasn’t surprised to see Kelvin Kiptum break his world marathon record.
Kipchoge, who is also a two-time world record holder, was the fastest man ever over the 42.2km (26.2 mile) marathon distance.
That was until October 8, 2023, when Kiptum stunned the world by smashing Kipchoge's record.
The Kenyan shaved 34 seconds off Kipchoge’s time from Berlin 2022 with a time of 2:00:35, winning the Chicago marathon.
Kipchoge, though, says he wasn’t shocked by the times posted by his compatriot.
"I was not surprised about [Kiptum] breaking the world record,” Kipchoge told a press conference on Friday, October 20, in Oviedo, Asturias.
I was happy to see the record being broken. I am looking forward to seeing records being broken because I have shown them the way,” he said.
The Kenyan marathon great is in the north of Spain to receive the 2023 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports.
The award is for his outstanding achievements as a long-distance runner and the work he does through his foundation to promote education and environmental protection.
Kipchoge, who last September became the first man to win the Berlin Marathon for a record fifth time, reiterated his focus for now ahead of the Olympic year in Paris.
“I will be the happiest on earth to win an Olympic medal for the third time, back-to-back-to-back. It’s about making history; it’s about inspiring a generation,” he added.
Kipchoge won his first Olympic marathon title in 2016 after clocking 2:08:44 in Rio, Brazil.
He defended his title in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, timing 2:08:38.
Reporting by Olympics.com
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