Eliud Kipchoge reveals why Berlin race is key ah**d of 2024 Olympic

Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge renowned for his structured training and marathon mastery is once again set for the Berlin Marathon.

For Kipchoge, routine is key to success, and he's making a deliberate choice to run in Berlin for the sixth time.

Eliud Kipchoge's aim

"My aim is to always run a good race. If this race could be translated to anything else, I will appreciate. I am working for it to make sure it’s a good race,” he told NN Running team.

Berlin, with its flat course, holds a special place in his heart as it's where he's set two world records. A win on September 24, 2023, would mark his historic fifth Berlin Marathon victory.

“You cannot control yesterday, but you can control what you are doing today and plan for tomorrow,” he said in an apparent reference to his last race in Boston.

“I am a fan of Berlin, but this year I chose the Berlin Marathon specifically for the Olympic Games in Paris and I trust that Berlin is the right place to actually shake the muscles and to have enough time to prepare for Paris."

Eliud Kipchoge competitor

Kipchoge's drive and ambition are well-known, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he goes for the world record, aiming to surpass his own mark of 2:01:09 set in the 2022 Berlin Marathon.

His teammate Amos Kipruto, the 2022 London Marathon winner, is expected to provide stiff competition.

For Kipchoge, the Olympics have always been a dream. After winning world gold in the 5000m in 2003, he pursued Olympic glory.

He secured a bronze in the 5000m in Athens 2004 and narrowly missed gold in Beijing 2008. The elusive Olympic gold pushed him to switch to the marathon after missing out on the London 2012 track team.

In 2016, just before his marathon debut at the Olympics, Kipchoge won the London Marathon for the second year in a row, setting a course record. Finally, at Rio 2016, he fulfilled his Olympic dream with a marathon gold.

Eliud Kipchoge's record

Kipchoge's journey includes unofficially completing a marathon in under two hours during the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in 2019. He returned to London aiming for a fifth title but faced his first marathon loss in seven years. His redemption came at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he secured back-to-back Olympic marathon titles.

Now, looking ahead to the Paris 2024 Olympics, Kipchoge sees the Berlin Marathon as the "perfect preparation." The flat Berlin course aligns with the Paris Olympic marathon course, making it an ideal training ground.

Kipchoge's history in Berlin is remarkable, with four victories and two world records. He remains a favorite, and his pre-race statements suggest he's aiming for a fast race, aligning perfectly with his pre-Olympic plans.

“Berlin is a very good place for me. I have won four times with two world records, it’s really stuck in my mind. To have two world records in Berlin is wonderful,” he told his team.

“I have been working together with the team, doing all my training and trusting the process. I am ready to return to my special place, return to Berlin to take on the challenge again,”