(Reuters) – World record holder Eliud Kipchoge is to make another attempt at breaking two hours for the marathon later this year, probably in the United Kingdom.
Athletics – Eliud Kipchoge reveals plans to break two hour marathon record – Iffley Road Sports Centre, Oxford, Britain May 6, 2019 – Picture taken April 30, 2019 Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge poses for a photograph REUTERS/Andrew Boyers
Here are some key facts about the Kenyan athlete:
EARLY LIFE
*Born Nov. 5, 1984 in Kapsisiywa, Nandi District of Kenya.
*He met his trainer Patrick Sang, a former Olympic medalist in the steeplechase, in 2001 at the age of 16.
*In 2002, he finished fifth at the World Cross Country Championships individual junior race in Dublin and was part of the Kenyan team that won gold.
*Set a world junior record in 5,000 meters at the 2003 Bislett Games, which stood as world and African record until 2012.
TRACK CAREER
*Kipchoge won a gold medal at the 5000m final at the 2003 World Championships in Paris.
*Won the 5,000m bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
*He won 5,000m silver at the 2007 World Championships at Osaka, behind Bernard Lagat.
*Kipchoge won 5,000m silver at the 2008 Beijing Games, behind Kenenisa Bekele.
*Made his Diamond League debut in 2010 by winning the 5,000m Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix.
*Finished second behind Ugandan runner Moses Kipsiro in the 5,000m final at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
MOVE TO ROAD EVENTS
*Made his half marathon debut at the 2012 Lille Half Marathon, where he finished third. His time of 59:25 became the second fastest half marathon debut, only second to Moses Mosop’s 59:20 in Milan in 2010.
*Opened 2013 season with a win at the Barcelona Half Marathon before making a smooth transition to full marathons by taking the Hamburg title in April.
*He raced in the 2013 Berlin Marathon and he finished second in 2:04:05, then the fifth-fastest time in history, in his second ever marathon.
*Kipchoge won the Berlin title in 2015 even though the insoles of his shoes came loose, causing blistered feet.
*Won back-to-back London Marathon titles in 2015 and 2016. His 2016 run broke the course record, and became the second-fastest marathon time in history.
*Won marathon gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics in a time of 2:08:44.
*In May 2017, Kipchoge, along with Zersenay Tadese (world record holder in the half marathon) and Lelisa Desisa (twice Boston Marathon winner), attempted the first sub-two-hour assisted marathon, in the Nike Breaking2 project on the Monza Formula One racetrack near in Italy.
*Kipchoge finished in 2:00:25, while the other two had to slow and finished far behind.
*Won the 2017 Berlin Marathon in rainy conditions, ahead of debutant Guye Adola.
*Kipchoge won the 2018 London Marathon against a field that included four-times Olympic gold medalist Mo Farah and Bekele.
*He retained his Berlin Marathon title in Sept. 2018, breaking the previous world record by 1 minute and 18 seconds.
*Won the 2019 London Marathon in a time of 2:02:37, the second fastest marathon of all time.
Compiled by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis