The secrets behind Kelvin Kiptum's unbelievable marathon triumph

There are those who run, and then there is Kelvin Kiptum, the extraordinary marathoner who completed a full marathon of 42 kilometers in an astounding 2 hours and 35 seconds to break Eliud Kipchoge's record of 2:01:09.

Kiptum lit the marathoning world aflame on Sunday, October 8 by running a record-breaking time in the Chicago Marathon subtract 34 seconds from Eliud Kipchoge's previous best of 2:01:09. The astounding record took him a stride closer to becoming the fastest man to break the two-hour barrier in the historic marathon.

But what is the secret behind his speed and endurance?

Mozzart Sport sought to answer the lingering question and as it turns out, the answer lies in vigorous training, and a normal diet, 'just like other people,' as he described.

A typical day for the 23-year-old involves a lot of running. The youngster runs between 250 and 280 kilometers (155 - 173 miles), and sometimes more than 300km (186 miles) in a week. For Kiptum, running is an adventure. For instance, during his preparation for London, he did three weeks of more than 300 kilometers per week.

Marathon World Record breaker Kelvin Kiptum steers clear of two-hour mark talk

Diet

For long-distance runners, complex carbohydrates are the main source of energy, and Kiptum consumes a lot of them. He loads up on his local favorites like chapatis, ugali, and rice. Chapati is an unleavened flat bread originating from India and is a special food in East Africa. Ugali has a neutral taste, and Kiptum prefers accompanying it with various traditional vegetables like managu.

Protein is essential for muscle recovery and growth, and Kiptum incorporates lean protein sources like chicken and beans into his diet. One favorite source of protein on Kiptum's table is just plain milk or fermented milk called mursik. It is yellowish in color with chunks and tastes like yoghurt.

"I eat normal food just like a normal human being. My diet includes ugali, rice, chapati, and most importantly, traditional vegetables and mursik," the soft-spoken youngster told Mozzart Sport.

The global sensation insisted that while diet played a major role in an athlete's body, training hard was the real deal.

Kiptum eager to take on Eliud Kipchoge after World Marathon record

"My secret is training, I will not say that there is a specific food that makes me win," he briefly said.

The youngster who stands as a beacon of hope to budding athletes advised them to always put their best foot forward, in addition to avoiding performance-enhancing substances.

"The only motivation I can give is they should do their best in training because that is the only way to succeed," he said amidst the ululations.

Kiptum became the first man to run a marathon at less than 2:01:00. In December 2022, the youngster made his marathon debut during the 2022 Valencia Marathon, where he raced to the fastest debut in history. His fine form continued, and in April, Kiptum became one of the youngest winners of the London Marathon where he raced to a London course record of 2:01:25, the second-fastest time in history and just 16 seconds shy of Eliud Kipchoge's world record.