Tanak, Loubet pay Kipchoge courtesy call in Kaptagat

M-Sport Ford drivers Ott Tänak and Pierre-Louis Loubet on Monday showcased the spirit of unity and camaraderie in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), as they joined forces with renowned marathon world-record holder Eliud Kipchoge for a remarkable training run ahead of Safari Rally Kenya, which takes place this week (22 - 25 June).

At an altitude of 2,400m in the scenic Kenyan highlands, Tänak, Loubet and co-driver Martin Järveoja joined Kipchoge at his training camp on the outskirts of Kaptagat, where they joined a host of exceptional talents including; two-time New York City Marathon winner Geoffrey Kamworor, 2009 10,000m world champion Linet Masai and 1500m and 5000m world record holder Faith Kipyegon.

Embracing Kipchoge’s commitment to the environment, the WRC stars each planted a tree to commemorate their visit before embarking on a light jog alongside Kipchoge and his esteemed Kenyan counterparts, culminating in a visit to a local school supported by Kipchoge's charitable foundation.

“It is good to meet other sportsmen from the other sectors. I am happy to host them and exchange knowledge,” world marathon record holder Kipchoge said of the moment. “The training is different but we share the values of trust and working hard. What I have learned is they are working as a team, as we are on our side.”

An enthusiastic Tanak on the other hand said; “It's been a mega experience, and Eliud is quite a quick guy to have a jog with! To see here how professional people like this are working together, it's actually not too far off from rallying. We are all people and we are all doing professional sports. Whether it’s motorsport or a marathon, both of us are pushing to the limits and trying to get the maximum out.”

The two (Kipchoge and Tanak) later exchanged a signed pair of Kipchoge’s marathon shoes and one of Tanak’s official racing helmets.

“It was fantastic, before today I was a big fan of [Kipchoge],” Loubet echoed. “My cousin is a runner so we are all fans of him in my family. To see him in reality is a great honor. He is so humble. A lot of people have to spend a day with him to understand he is such a humble guy.”

At the same time, Belgian rally driver Thierry Jean Neuville on social media expressed his support to The Eliud Kipchoge Foundation for its role in conservation of environment and education saying; “For Safari Rally Kenya I‘m honored to team up with Eliud Kipchoge and the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation for the environment and education. Through his foundation, Eliud is sponsoring school fees to give more children access to education and he is building libraries. The foundation also focuses on conservation by bringing back to life destroyed forests as well as promoting production of good fruits and vegetables across Kenyan farms.

“Eliud wants to conserve the environment for the next generation (He recently adopted 130 acres of Kaptagat forest close to his training camp) and I’m happy if I can help on these beautiful projects. You can help too.”

Kipchoge, 38, is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time as the only human to ever run a marathon in under two hours.

He holds the official world record of 2:01.09 in marathon as well as boasting four of the fastest six times in history. Additionally, he has achieved two Olympic gold medals in marathon plus a silver and bronze earned in the 5,000m distance.