Eliud Kipchoge has announced
the end of his Olympic career after failing to finish a race
for the 1st time ever on Saturday ,
August 10 during the Paris 2024 games.
Though disappointed , Kipchoge
one of only 3 men to win the Olympic marathon twice , remained resolute.
Speaking to Olympics.com , the Kenyan runner vowed to continue his marathon
career which began 11 years ago.
“It is a difficult time for
me,” Kipchoge admitted after dropping
out just past the 30km mark, about an
hour & 40 seconds into the race, due to discomfort around his waist .
"This is my worst marathon . I have never done a DNF (did not finish) .
That is life. Like a boxer , I have been knocked down, I’ve won, I’ve come
second, eighth, 10th, 50th – now I did not finish. That’s life."
When asked if he would
consider another Olympic race in Los Angeles 2028 , Kipchoge responded, “You
will see me in a different way , maybe giving people motivation.But I will not
run."
"I don't know what is
next. I need to go back home, sit down & reflect on my 21 years of running
at a high level. I need to evolve & focus on other things,” he added.
Kipchoge, who returned for his
second marathon of the season at Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, was initially
confident, exchanging fist bumps with fellow runners, including his long-time
rival Kenenisa Bekele. He aimed to either reclaim his winning form or secure a
spot on the Olympic podium for the fourth time in his fifth Olympic appearance.
His previous race in Berlin
last September saw him become the first man to run a marathon in under two
hours and three minutes, clocking in at 2:02:42. However, that record was soon
broken by Kelvin Kiptum, who lowered the time to 2:00:35 before his untimely
death.
With ideal conditions of 19
degrees Celsius and moderate humidity, Kipchoge seemed well-prepared, sporting
a cooling headband designed to enhance performance in the heat. But as the race
progressed, he began showing signs of distress, clutching his waist around the
15km mark.
It quickly became evident that
Kipchoge would not complete the marathon. He fell behind the leading pack, with
Swiss runner Tadese Abraham even slowing down to check on him. Kipchoge
confirmed the pain, explaining, "My waist was a little bit painful. It was
a sharp pain, and it was not allowing me to continue with the race.”
The pain intensified, forcing
Kipchoge to make the difficult decision to withdraw from the race, about 12 km
from the finish at Les Invalides. This marked the first time in his career that
he failed to cross a marathon finish line.
As other runners encouraged
him to push on, Kipchoge opted to walk part of the race, cheered by the large
crowds lining the scenic streets. "The other runners were telling me to
push on, but I was telling them, 'No, I have pain, I can’t.' I could feel the
love and respect from them," Kipchoge told reporters, having completed the
walk wearing only his shorts.
In a poignant moment, Kipchoge
reflected on his final Olympic race in the French capital, the same city that
had catapulted him to fame as a teenage 5000m world champion. “It was not the
race I came here for,” Kipchoge admitted. "But that’s sport. Sport is up
and down. Sport is like a garden where you plant seeds; sometimes you harvest
flowers, and sometimes you get weeds. Today, I harvested weeds."
Despite the unexpected turn in
his Olympic farewell, the two-time world record holder has no plans to retire
just yet. "I will continue to run, absolutely. Why not?" Kipchoge
said when asked about his future in running.
However, he ruled out a career
in coaching, stating, "I have many other things to do than being a coach.
I want to travel around the world, visiting different countries to motivate people."
