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Kipchoge arrives in Germany for Sunday’s Berlin Marathon

Thursday, September 22nd, 2022 07:12 | By
Champion Eliud Kipchoge.

Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge arrived in Germany on Tuesday evening in readiness for this year’s Berlin Marathon scheduled for Sunday, where the legendary athlete will be chasing his own World record of 2:01:39.

Kipchoge did not participate in the world championships this summer in Eugene, Oregon, with his most recent race being Tokyo Marathon back in March where he broke the course record in a time of 2:02:40 and in the process set the fourth-fastest time in history.

In the much-awaited race, 45,527 runners from 157 nations are set to tackle 26.2 miles on the streets of the German capital but Kipchoge is the standout name as he returns to one of his favourite race venues.

Kipchoge set his world record in Berlin back in 2018, and he also won the event in 2015 and 2017.

A fourth victory in Berlin would equal the achievement of Haile Gebrselassie, who won the race from 2006-09. Kipchoge will turn 38 in November, but his goal is to win an unprecedented third Olympic marathon title in Paris in 2024.

The veteran athlete will head to the big stage aware of the threat defending champion Ethiopian Guye Adola brings when the shove comes to push in Berlin.

Guye won last year’s race in 2:05:45 and posted a brilliant marathon debut of 2:03:46 when runner-up to Kipchoge in Berlin in 2017. The two athletes will come head to head with two athletes who could challenge them and give them a run for their money come Sunday.

They include the 2015 world marathon champion Ghirmay Ghebreslassie of Eritrea (2:05:34), Defene Debela Gonfa of Ethiopia (2:05:46), Mark Korir of Kenya (2:05:49), and Oqbe Kibrom (Eritrea) 2:05:53.

Kipchoge will be targeting a new course record at the Berlin marathon set on September 25.

Prior to him jetting out of the country Kipchoge said if he won’t run a world record, then it will definitely be a course record.

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