The marathon great Eliud Kipchoge received the award ahead of his eagerly anticipated return to the TCS London Marathon on Sunday, 27 April.
The global running legend, referred to by many as the GOAT, is the first international runner to receive the accolade.
He follows in the footsteps of British running legends who have received the award, which was created in 2015.
They include three-time London Marathon champion Paula Radcliffe, Hugh Jones, the first British men’s London Marathon winner, and Brendan Foster, a former Olympic athlete and commentator who was the voice of the event for the BBC for decades.
Kipchoge said: “I am thrilled to receive this lifetime achievement from the London Marathon. In the city itself, 300 languages are being spoken, and that’s why I feel London is the home of everybody in the world.
“London Marathon promotes humanity and charitable organisations; it is a vehicle whereby all human values are celebrated, and it helps all of us to try. I am thrilled, and I will continue to support the London Marathon.”
The John Disley Lifetime Achievement Award is named after the London Marathon co-founder. It recognises exceptional people who have demonstrated the event’s values of uniting the world to provide happiness and a sense of achievement.
Recipients of the award include:
- Paula Radcliffe, 2015
- Hugh Jones, 2016
- Brendan Foster, 2017
- Liz McColgan, 2023
- Tanni Grey-Thompson, 2024
