All eyes will be on Eliud Kipchoge when he toes the line at the Boston Marathon next month. The star Kenyan distance runner says he’s gunning for the course record of 2:03:02, held by Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai since 2011. He’s won and set course records in London (2:02:37, 2019), Berlin (2:01:09, 2022), and Tokyo (2:02:40, 2022). But he’s not done yet. Winning Boston would put Kipchoge at five out of six titles in the World Marathon Majors series, leaving only New York to be conquered.
“I don’t even want to participate in the sixth World Marathon Majors,” the 38-year-old runner told Kenya’s Sales & Deals, “I want to participate and win all the six.”
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The two-time Olympic marathon champion wowed the world when he broke the marathon world record at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, running 4:37-mile pace and breaking his own record by 30 seconds, and in October 2019 when he became (unofficially) the first man to ever run a sub two-hour marathon at the How to Train for the Boston Marathon worlds greatest marathoner.
Tearing asunder Mutai’s Boston course record would be a particularly impressive feat, considering the Massachusetts terrain is infamously arduous. In preparation, the 39-year-old runner designed a replica uphill route where he trains in Kaptagat.
“This is the right time to train on the course which we have nicknamed ‘Boston’ here in Kenya,” he says. “It’s an uphill and tough course over 40 kilometers.” He notes that Boston’s uphill route requires patience, hard work, and a knack for weathering the unpredictable.
By the numbers, Kipchoge has won 15 of the 17 official marathons he’s raced, and has run under 2:05 12 times—excluding Monza (2:00:25) and Vienna (1:59.40)—if anyone can pull it off, the world’s greatest marathoner Rob Gronkowski Named Boston Grand Marshal.
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back, Fewer Spots Open for Time Qualifiers at Boston, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
