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Eliud Kipchoge dismissed speculation the upcoming London Marathon would be his farewell race after confirming on Friday he plans to run when he turns 40.
The Kenyan, arguably the greatest male marathoner of all time, is a two-time Olympic champion at the distance and has 11 victories in elite events at the World Marathon Majors, including a record four titles in London.
Kipchoge, however, failed to complete a marathon for the first time at the 2024 Paris Olympics, sparking speculation that his career may be coming to an end.
Asked on Friday if the April 27 London Marathon could be his last race, Kipchoge told a news conference: “No. I will talk more when I finish the marathon.
“Now I focus on training, just on my fitness and my muscles, to be ready for the start line in London.
“I don’t like to mix things up. I’m learning to put my mind on the road, making sure my muscles are lean and ready to take on the streets of London. And the rest will come.”
Pressed to retire, he added: “When you convince me that the world has become a racing world, I will retire. When you have four billion people running every day, I will retire.”
Kipchoge’s four triumphs in London came between 2015 and 2019 – he missed the 2017 edition.
This year’s field will also include 2024 Olympic marathon gold medalist Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia and Kenya’s reigning London Marathon champion Alexander Mutiso Munyao.
In 2019, Kipchoge became the first person to run a marathon in two hours, but this performance does not count as a world record because the Vienna event and its organization were not ratified by international leaders. athletics.
The official world record of 2 hours and 35 seconds was set in 2023 by fellow Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum, who died in a car accident last year.
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