Kipchoge adds course records to his World Marathon Majors targets

World marathon record holder and two-time Olympic champion in the classic distance, Eliud Kipchoge, say his preparations for his debut at the Boston Marathon slated for 17 April are in top gear.

The event will not only mark the 38-year-old’s debut in the oldest marathon but his second time competing in a marathon in America.

Kipchoge has added another lofty target to his marathon career saying that he is looking to get course records in the other half of the Abbot World Marathon Majors (WMM) events even as he looks to win all six.

“I want to not only compete in all six but to do so and win. These are two different targets. What’s more, I have added another challenge of getting course records for the other half of the races.

I have a course record in London (2:02:37), Tokyo (2:02:40) and Berlin (2:01:09). This is another challenge that I have set as a championship for myself,” Kipchoge said in an interview with his NN Running Team who is yet to compete in Boston and New York.

The Boston course record of 2:03:02 was set by Kenya’s Geoffrey Mutai in 2011, and the performance then marked one of the world’s great marathon records.

Defending champion Evans Chebet, 2021 winner Benson Kipruto, and two-time victor Lelisa Desisa will be part of a historically deep men’s elite race. Kipchoge will take on the challenging Boston Marathon course with hopes of earning his 11th win in an WMM event.

His last race in the series resulted in a world record of 2:01:09 at the Berlin Marathon. This, will, however, be a slightly different race as the course is notoriously hilly.

“At the moment I am training well and I am on track as we look forward to the race. The Boston course is uphill and it needs a lot of patience and hard work to go through. The weather in Boston is also unpredictable, it can change any time but I am trying to be all round such that whatever I face on the day I am ready for it. 

This is the perfect time to train on a route we have nicknamed the ‘Boston course’ at the training camp. It mirrors the hilly conditions I will face in this race and I will benefit from it.

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This is the only time I have concentrated solely on training in this course. Training in high altitude also gives me the impetus to be my best,” Kipchoge offered in the interview with his team.