Kipchoge achieves worst marathon finish of his career

Japan Legend Eliud Kipchoge achieved the worst ranking since the beginning of his peak career, when he finished tenth at the Tokyo Marathon 2024 on the morning of March 3.

Kipchoge finished the inaugural World Marathon Majors 2024 season in 2 hours 6 minutes 50 seconds, well behind champion Benson Kipruto - his compatriot who finished first with 2 hours 2 minutes 16 seconds.

In terms of performance, this is not Kipchoge's worst time in the 42.195km. But in terms of ranking, this is his lowest position.

Before Tokyo 2024, the Kenyan runner had only missed out on three marathons. He finished second in Berlin 2013 in 2 hours 4 minutes 5 seconds, eighth in London 2020 in 2 hours 6 minutes 49 seconds and sixth in Boston 2023 in 2 hours 9 minutes 23 seconds.

Kicphoge (in white hat, center) starts with the elite at the Tokyo Marathon 2024 on the morning of March 3. Photo: AFP — Kicphoge (in white hat, center) starts with the elite at the Tokyo Marathon 2024 on the morning of March 3. Photo: *AFP*

On the track in the Japanese capital on the morning of March 3, Kipchoge accelerated and was among the top seven athletes to reach the 15km mark in 42 minutes and 45 seconds, equaling Kelvin Kiptum's pace when he set the world record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon with 2 hours, 0 minutes, 35 seconds.

From the 25 to 30km mark, Kipchoge still ran in the leading group in fifth place but faced fierce competition from his two compatriots Patrick Mosin, Bethwel Kibet and home runner Ogawa Ryotaro.

But then the 39-year-old runner ran out of steam and fell out of the top 10 at the 35km mark. In the end, Kipchoge only finished tenth with a time of 2 hours, 6 minutes and 50 seconds.

This is Kipchoge's second time running the Tokyo Marathon. His first time in 2022, which was postponed a year due to Covid-19, he won and set a race record of 2 hours 2 minutes 40 seconds. But that record was broken by Benson Kipruto, who clocked 2 hours 2 minutes 16 seconds this morning.

Last year, Kipchoge skipped Tokyo to compete in Boston, but disappointed with the worst time of his career - finishing sixth in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 23 seconds.

This year, Kipchoge chose Tokyo as a preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics with the ambition of becoming the first athlete to win three marathon gold medals in three consecutive Olympics. He won the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 with times of 2 hours 8 minutes 44 seconds and 2 hours 8 minutes 38 seconds, respectively.

Kipchoge is the third runner to win the men's marathon at two consecutive Olympics, after Ethiopian Abebe Bikila (1960 and 1964) and East German Waldemar Cierpinski (1976 and 1980).

In addition to his goal of becoming the first athlete to win three marathon medals, Kipchoge could also set a best performance at the Olympics at Paris 2024. The current Olympic record is 2 hours 6 minutes 32 seconds, set by another Kenyan athlete - Samuel Wanjiru - at Beijing 2008.

But setbacks at Boston 2023 and Tokyo 2024 show that Kipchoge - who turns 40 in November - is no longer "invincible" at the 42.195km distance.

Hong Duy

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