by Larry Eder
In 2003, at the World Athletics Championships in Paris, France, 45,000 fans witnessed the beginning of an era. Hicham El Guerrouj, WR holder in 1,500m and mile, and Kenenisa Bekele, WR holder at 5,000m and 10,000m, were battling with 200 meters to go. Most of the crowd believed that the gold medalist in the 5,000 meters would come from those two. The skinny little Kenyan runner, Eliud Kipchoge, all of 18, had kept his cool for 12 laps and was in the top three with 200 meters to go. Surely, the young Kenyan would be happy with a bronze medal.
Well, that is not how it worked out.
Eliud Kipchoge put on a vicious kick, outkicking two of the master kickers of all times, Kenenisa Bekele and Hicham El Guerrouj! At 18, Kipchoge was a World Championship gold medalist at 5,000 meters.
Kipchoge medaled in the 2004 Athens Olympics, taking the bronze at 5,000 meters. In 2007, Eliud Kipchoge took the silver in the World Champs in Osaka. In 2008, Eliud took the silver in the 5,000 meters in Beijing.
The track was his world until 2012 when he did not make the 5,000m or 10,000m team. He and his coach, Patrick Sang, mapped out a plan to move up to the roads, and in 2013, he took second in the Berlin Marathon.
In his marathon career, Kipchoge has won 15 of his 17 marathons. Two of those marathons were Olympic games.
On Monday, April 13, 2023, Eliud Kipchoge will attempt to win World Marathon Majors number 5 (he has won Tokyo, Chicago, London, and Berlin so far). In Conversations with Larry, I give you my two cents on his chances, which, I believe, are extraordinary.
