What Next for Eliud Kipchoge After Finishing 17th in New York Marathon

Kenyan marathon star Eliud Kipchoge finished the New York City Marathon in 17th place on Sunday evening. The double Olympic champion recorded a time of 2:14:36. This result marks the conclusion of his run in the major city marathon circuit.

Kipchoge, often called the ‘Marathon GOAT’, spoke exclusively to Olympics.com ahead of the race. He confirmed the event would be his final World Marathon Major.

The 40-year-old athlete is now moving towards a completely new direction in his running career.

Farewell to the World Marathon Majors

The New York race had been on Kipchoge’s mind for a long time. Completing it allowed him to secure the prestigious Seven Star Hall of Fame award.

This honour is given to runners who finish all marked World Marathon Majors. These include Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City.

Kipchoge firmly confirmed his decision to step back from Majors racing. When asked if this was his final elite marathon, he answered, “Absolutely yes!”.

He stated that the race was about competition, not just participation. He intended to fight to run well and aimed for a podium finish in New York.

The runner has focused this year on working through a failure to finish the Olympic race at Paris 2024.

Message After Race

Moments after the disappointing display on track, Kipchoge took to his Facebook page revealing how he felt about making his debut in the New York Marathon.

“I fully enjoyed running in the streets today hearing so much cheering and seeing so much passion. I remain grateful, motivated and inspired by this incredible city.

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I congratulate all of the runners and say thank you to the fans in the streets and at home, to the volunteers and organization that it takes to put this all together for us, and to my team and my partners who push and support me every day.”

A Record-Breaking Road Career

Kipchoge’s tenure on the roads has been record-breaking. He is an 11-time Marathon Majors champion. He is also one of only three men globally to have won two consecutive Olympic marathons.

His most successful Major destination is Berlin, where he has won five times. This includes setting two previous world records.

Six years ago, Kipchoge made history by breaking the two-hour barrier in Vienna. He ran the 42.2km distance in 1:59.40.

His countryman, the late Kelvin Kiptum, currently holds the official world record of 2:00:35, set in Chicago.

Kipchoge feels content with his overall marathon career. He stated, “In the marathon, I did not miss anything”.

New Destinations and Purposeful Running

The veteran confirmed running will remain central to his life. However, he will seek new and challenging surroundings. He is now starting a “new journey of running for other things—running for a purpose”.

This new phase will involve extreme tests on new continents. Kipchoge plans to undertake ultra-distance events. He confirmed his plans for cold-weather running.

“I will run in Antarctica!”.

He also specified plans for races in the Middle East. He shared that he will “run even 50 kilometres in Saudi Arabia”. He wants to demonstrate that “age is just a number”. He continues to train alongside younger athletes.

Kipchoge aims to use these extreme challenges to attract partners. These partners will rally support for various causes.

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He wants to show young people that it is possible to push limits and complete more marathons. His post-Marathon Majors life will involve an “interesting journey”.

Kipchoge’s move to extreme running is like a chess grandmaster retiring from world championships to focus on teaching; he is still deeply engaged in the game, but he is applying his mastery in new, impactful, and unconventional settings.