For any athlete who has yet to make his or her mark in history, reaching the finish line knowing they’ve won the race can be a new and thrilling sensation. However, this was not the case for Eliud Kipchoge, who achieved the milestone of winning the Berlin Marathon for the fifth time in his career on September 24.
Two days before the event, Kipchoge gave an interview to Olympics.com in which he expressed his apprehension regarding the marathon.
“I am nervous,” Kipchoge confessed. “But the nervousness shows I am ready for the big task on Sunday….”
True to his words, Kipchoge did come ready for the marathon that spanned 42.195 kilometers.
He immediately showed his speed in the first 5 kilometres of the race, leading the rest of the pack. And, according to Runner’s World, this continued until he hit the 10k, the half-mark, and then the 30k mark, where he managed to shake off the rest of his rivals and cement his status as the race leader. As his speed and stamina led him to the finish line, he clocked an astonishing time of 2:02:42, clinching first place for the fifth time.
Kipchoge surpassed Gebrselassie’s records
Kenneth Kipkemoi of Kenya came in second with a time of 2.03:13, and Tadese Takel of Ethiopia came in third with a time of 2.03:24.
Up until 2022, Haile Gebrselassie held the record for the most wins, with four consecutive titles, according to Olympics.com. He also set two world records for the fastest time in the marathon way back in 2007 and 2008. He registered a time of 2:04:26 in ’07 and went on to improve on this the next year with 2:03:59.
However, Kipchoge surpassed Gebrselassie’s records and became the only person to have conquered the marathon five times. In addition, Kipchoge also shattered the world record, first in 2018 when he ran 2:01:39 in the race, and then in 2022 when he ran 30 seconds faster than his previous record of 2:01:09.
In addition to these achievements, Kipchoge also won at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, clinching gold medals at the prestigious event.
His victory at the Berlin Marathon was announced on World Athletics’ X account:
“History-maker 👑
🇰🇪’s
@EliudKipchoge
becomes the first man in history to win the
@berlinmarathon
for the 5th time 🙌
2:02:42 for the win 😎”
History-maker 👑
🇰🇪’s @EliudKipchoge becomes the first man in history to win the @berlinmarathon for the 5th time 🙌
2:02:42 for the win 😎 pic.twitter.com/NT9A7l85Nf
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) September 24, 2023
Fans also used this opportunity to congratulate and praise the man of the hour.
“@EliudKipchoge congratulations 👏🎉”– @leroikris
@EliudKipchoge congratulations 👏🎉
— OMOAKA CHRISTOPHER (@leroikris) September 24, 2023
“The GOAT 👏👏👏❤️”– @kerubo_hillary
The GOAT 👏👏👏❤️
— Kerry 🇰🇪 (@kerubo_hillary) September 24, 2023
“One of our own @Kenya. Your contribution to Wold History is enormous. #Legend# @Eliud” -@FrancisKameta
One of our own @Kenya. Your contribution to Wold History is enormous. #Legend# @Eliud
— Frank Kameta (@FrancisKameta) September 24, 2023
The photo above is from a YouTube screengrab