A Salute To Eliud Kipchoge: The Greatest Of All Time
17th September 2018
Tributes overflow for Kenyan giant in the aftermath of epic 2:01:39 world record run at the 2018 Berlin Marathon
- Racing against the clock from 25K when the remaining rabbit, Josphat Bett, fell off, Kipchoge went on to stretch the barrier of ultimate distance running beyond the 2:02 barrier
- He was the number one trending topic on Twitter as Facebook almost went into meltdown as well
- A nation erupted into collective celebrations as he raised his hands aloft, held his head and rushed to his coach Sang after breasting the tape
- But the indefatigable spirit and love for the sport saw him reinvent himself as a marathoner, making a winning debut at Hamburg in 2012 and since then, in 11 outings, only Kipsang managed to outclass him
NAIROBI, Kenya- The marathon world record is 2:01:39 and it belongs to the GOAT (Greatest of All Time): Eliud Kipchoge.
That was the simple yet telling banner headline on the homepage of American foremost athletics website, www.letsrun.com as it joined other outlets around the world to hail the majestic performance of the Kenyan distance running superstar following his historic victory at Sunday’s BMW Berlin Marathon.
Racing against the clock from 25K when the remaining rabbit, Josphat Bett, fell off, Kipchoge went on to stretch the barrier of ultimate distance running beyond the 2:02 barrier and in the process, left the previous standard of 2:02:57 set by countryman Dennis Kimetto at the same course in 2014 lying in ruins.
“What an amazing day! I want to thank my coach Patrick Sang, my teammates, my management, Nike and NN. A special thank you to my fans for your support!” Kipchoge tweeted in the afterglow of his latest master class, garnering 9,978 retweets and 38,555 likes by the time of going to press on Monday.
Those outstanding figures however, do not accurately capture the true majesty of a performance that exemplifies a gifted human being at his most supreme.
It was joy in excelsis for those who watched him at his pomp and to imagine how far lower he would have gone had the other two pacemakers, Sammy Kitwara and Bernard Kipkemboi not collapsed like a house of cards barely 15K in is frightening.
New stratosphere
“For years, the only thing missing from Eliud Kipchoge’s marathon resume was the world record. No longer. In an astonishing performance at the 2018 BMW Berlin Marathon, Kipchoge took marathoning into a new stratosphere by clocking 2:01:39 — the first man ever under 2:02, and a full 78 seconds faster than Dennis Kimetto’s four-year-old world record.
“It was a performance so far superior to anything we’ve seen before that comparing it to another marathon feels inadequate. This was Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in basketball, Usain Bolt’s 9.58 in the 100-meter dash.
“Kipchoge’s splits — 61:06 for the first half, a ridiculous 60:33 for his second half — sound made up. But they were real, and they were spectacular,” LetsRun wrote in their race report in a credible and valiant attempt to capture what unfolded in the streets of the German capital.
If anything, race organisers should ship the black BMWi3s vehicle that had the electronic clock mounted on it that was the only thing that could keep him company as he motored almost in surreal fashion to history.
"I lack the words to describe how I feel. It was really hard [during the last 17 kilometres] but I was truly prepared to run my own race. I had to focus on the work I had put in in Kenya and that is what helped push me.
"It was my aim to smash the world record and I felt confident before the race," he added. "I’ve now run 2:04, 2:03 and now 2:01. Who knows what the future will bring?
"I’m really grateful to my coaching team, my management, the organisation. I’ll definitely return to Berlin. Berlin for me is eternal,” Kipchoge told www.iaaf.org moments after his astonishing victory.
Later, in a touching post on Instagram, the GOAT paid tribute to those who made it all happen fronted by his spouse Grace, who together with the couple’s children Lynne, Griffin and Jordon, watched Kipchoge pursue and conquer history at the Clique Hotel in Eldoret.
Tributes galore
Kipchoge not only shot to the apex of marathon running on Sunday. As he hammered the clock in setting ridiculous splits on his way to adjusting the standard of the toughest race on earth, he was the number one trending topic on Twitter as Facebook almost went into meltdown as well.
A nation erupted into collective celebrations as he raised his hands aloft, held his head and rushed to his coach Sang after breasting the tape.
“Congratulations Eliud Kipchoge for breaking the world record at the Berlin Marathon 2018.
“I also congratulate his compatriots Amos Kipruto and Wilson Kipsang' for going out valiantly to bring a 1-2-3 victory for Team Kenya. You are our heroes. Kenya is proud of you,” President Uhuru Kenyatta wrote on the micro blogging site in homage.
“A show of strength, stamina, willpower as Eliud Kipchoge produces a master class in long distance running to smash world record at Berlin Marathon in a time of 2:01:39.
“Powerful, phenomenal display from an impeccable athlete, a legend. Amos Kipruto, Wilson Kipsang finish 2nd and 3rd,” his Deputy, William Ruto hailed.
Former Prime Minister and opposition chief, Raila Odinga, was not left behind as the country’s political class rolled over their feet to playing glowing tribute to the GOAT.
“You have done us all extremely proud by breaking the Men's World Record at the Berlin Marathon. Hongera (congratulations) Eliud Kipchoge may you continue to be an inspiration to our youth through your heroic exploits in athletics. We are all extremely proud of you for flying our flag very high,” Raila saluted.
“We shall be telling the children of our children that we lived in the days and times of Eliud Kipchoge an athlete who in the words of Ben Bloom (Telegraph UK) “whose feat is so unthinkable, so incomprehensible, that they are hard to fathom.” Congratulations to the King World of Marathon,” Elgeyo Marakwet Senator and Majority Leader in the Senate, Kipchumba Murkomen, cheered.
Craziest person
Some of the tweets tried to capture the poignancy of what the world had just witnessed.
“The craziest person in the world right now is Eliud Kipchoge... because he’s the only person in the world that thinks he can run better than Eliud Kipchoge did today.
And that’s why he’s the greatest of all time,” one user crowed.
“I know 2:01:39 is insane by itself, but Kipchoge just ran his second half marathon in 60:33. Are you f---ing kidding me!” Jonathan Gault, a writer at LetsRun posted.
As the world continues to digest an epic display from Kipchoge, it is difficult to believe six years ago, he was at the point of despair having missed the cut to run for his beloved nation at the London 2012 Olympics.
Kipchoge made two failed attempts to make the squad, in the men 10000m at the specially arranged Kenyan trial at the Pre Fontaine Classic IAAF Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon before fielding in the men 5000m final at the London trials in Nairobi.
The brutal showdown pushed the 2003 world champion and Beijing 2008 Olympics silver winner at the 12 and a half-lap distance down the finishing order as a bruised Kipchoge finished seventh in what for many, would have spelt the end of a career.
But the indefatigable spirit and love for the sport saw him reinvent himself as a marathoner, making a winning debut at Hamburg in 2012 and since then, in 11 outings, only Kipsang managed to outclass him, in Berlin in 2013 where it took a then world record of (2:03:23) no less, underlining his status as GOAT.