Kenya great Eliud Kipchoge to seek return to form in Sydney Marathon

Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, perhaps the greatest runner in history, has declared he will run the Sydney Marathon in August in a huge boon to the event’s standing.

The 40-year-old maestro, back-to-back Olympic marathon champion in 2016 and 2020 and the only runner ever to record an unofficial sub two-hour time in the event, says he’s excited to be competing in the first year that the Sydney race has been designated a World Marathon Major.

Kipchoge has won 11 World Marathon Major races which have previously been held in London, New York, Tokyo, Chicago, Boston and Berlin.

It will be Kipchoge’s first time running in Oceania, a coup that left race organisers describing his presence in the 31 August showpiece as “a dream come true”.

Kipchoge is trying to prove he’s still the event’s undisputed master after a calamitous 2024 in which he could only finish 10th in Tokyo, his lowest placing at a marathon in his career, before dropping out at mile 19 when going for the Olympic hat-trick in Paris.

“I’m so excited,” Kipchoge said in a statement. “This is not only my first time running the TCS Sydney Marathon, but also my first time running in Oceania. Running in Australia is a great opportunity for me.”

Kipchoge’s record of 16 wins in 21 official marathons included 10 consecutive victories between 2014 and 2019, and he’ll first try to get back to winning ways after his Paris disappointment in the London Marathon on 27 April before his Sydney odyssey.

Kipchoge is officially the second-fastest marathoner of all-time with his 2:01:09 in Berlin in 2022, but he also famously clocked 1:59:40 in Vienna in a special race set up for him to run fast where normal competition rules weren’t in place.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Sydney race director Wayne Larden, of Kipchoge’s participation. “His presence will elevate the event to new heights, bringing an unprecedented level of excitement, prestige and global attention.”

Kipchoge has made it his mission in his later career to bring marathon running to an ever-more global audience.

“I’m excited to see the fans, I’m excited to sell the idea of making the world a running world, to sell the idea of marathoning to Australia as a running nation,” he said.

He also had one other big ambition in Australia.

“I especially want to see kangaroos,” said Kipchoge. “I don’t want to come to Australia and miss seeing kangaroos.”