Hamburg, April 2013: 1st, 2:05:30
picture alliance//Getty Images After a track career that included a world championship at 5,000 meters and two Olympic medals in the distance, Kipchoge converted to road racing in 2012. He began his marathon career, appropriately enough, with a win, and a resounding one at that—second place was more than two minutes behind.
Another touchy day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Berlin, September 2013: 2nd, 2:04:05
picture alliance//Getty Images For his second marathon, Kipchoge chose Berlin, the site of much future greatness. He finished second in a then-PR of 2:04:05 behind a world record of 2:03:23 by Wilson Kipsang. CA Notice at Collection.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Rotterdam, April 2014: 1st, 2:05:00
Running Advertisement - Continue Reading Below//Getty Images Another easy win—second place was more than a minute back—gave Kipchoge a little more experience before he became a fixture at the world’s highest-profile marathons.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Chicago, October 2014: 1st, 2:04:11
Jonathan Daniel//Getty Images at the numbers World Marathon Major title in his first road race in the United States. After this race, there was no doubting his alpha status at whatever marathon he ran.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
London, April 2015: 1st, 2:04:42
Charlie Crowhurst//Getty Images In the first of his three London victories, Kipchoge furthered his claim to being the world’s best male marathoner by beating the two most recent holders of the world record.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Berlin, September 2015: 1st, 2:04:00
Pacific Press//Getty Images What a flop—for his shoes, that is. Running in a Nike prototype, Kipchoge lost any chance at breaking the world record when the insoles of his shoes came loose in the first 10K. Kipchoge ran the bulk of the race with the insoles perpendicular to his feet. Setting a PR under these conditions probably added to his aura of invincibility more than breaking the world record would have.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
London, April 2016: 1st, 2:03:05
Alex Morton//Getty Images Another London appearance, another dominant win for Kipchoge, this time in a course record.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Rio Olympics, August 2016: 1st, 2:08:44
Ramsey Cardy//Getty Images In one of the most nonchalant Olympic victories in history, Kipchoge took a solo lead seemingly at will after 20 miles and gapped runner-up Feyisa Lilesa by 70 seconds over the final 10K.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Breaking2 demo in Italy, May 2017: 1st, 2:00:25
The Best Shoes at the 2024 Boston Marathon//Getty Images Another London appearance, another dominant win for Kipchoge, this time in a course record three-man exhibition around an auto-racing track. Following a car and a rotating cast of pacers, Kipchoge came up a little short of the event’s goal of a sub-2:00 marathon. His time was the fastest then run under any conditions for a marathon, but didn’t count for world-record purposes.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Berlin, September 2017: 1st, 2:03:32
Alexander Hassenstein//Getty Images Warm, muggy conditions scotched any attempt at the official world record, so Kipchoge had to be content with “just” another World Marathon Major win.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
London, April 2018: 1st, 2:04:17
NurPhoto//Getty Images Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Berlin, September 2018: 1st, 2:01:39
Maja Hitij//Getty Images Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
London, April 2019: 1st, 2:02:37
NurPhoto//Getty Images By this point, Kipchoge had become otherworldly. Setting the London course in a time that only one other marathoner had surpassed was seen as just another day at the office.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Ineos demo in Austria, October 2019: 1st (and only), 1:59:40
NurPhoto//Getty Images Kipchoge did what many people said was impossible—run a marathon in under two hours. He averaged 4:33.9 per mile for 26.2 miles. But his time was ineligible for the world record because of rotating groups of pacers and other deviations from standards for road records.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
London, October 2020, 8th, 2:06:49
Pool//Getty Images Kipchoge showed a rare touch of vulnerability in his first loss since 2013 and the worst placing of his marathon career. Kipchoge attributed the off day Controversy Over Bostons 6-Hour Results Cutoff. Others wondered if Kipchoge, a month shy of his 36th birthday, had finally started to lose his race with Father Time.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
NN Marathon in Eschende, April 2021: 1st, 2:04:30
Dean Mouhtaropoulos//Getty Images With mass events still on hold, Kipchoge’s management team put together an elite-only marathon at a XXX in Holland. Kipchoge won easily. The race served as a confidence booster after the previous fall’s rare defeat and as a tune-up for Kipchoge’s Olympic title defense four months later.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Tokyo Olympics, August 2021: 1st, 2:08:38
Lintao Zhang//Getty Images Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Tokyo, March 2022: 1st, 2:02:40
Anadolu Agency//Getty Images After the Olympics, Kipchoge said that he wanted to win all six of the World Marathon Majors. He got his fourth title in his first go at Tokyo, and set the course record in the process.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Berlin, September 2022: 1st, 2:01:09
Sales & Deals//Getty Images Some speculated Kipchoge would run New York City to cross off another World Marathon Major win. But when he announced he would instead return to Berlin, that meant one thing—he would try to break his own world record. And he did, by 30 seconds, reviving talk of a sub-2:00 marathon in a record-eligible race.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Boston, April 2023: 6th, 2:09:23
Maddie Meyer//Getty Images Eliud Kipchoge placed sixth at the 2023 Boston Marathon in 2:09:23, more than three minutes behind winner Evans Chebet of Kenya. After setting the pace through the first 19 miles, Kipchoge lost contact with the leaders and could not recover.
Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner’s World and Running Times. Much of his writing translates sport science research and elite best practices into practical guidance for everyday athletes. He is the author or coauthor of several running books, including Training Tweaks That Will Get You to a BQ, Advanced Marathoning, and His winning margin of 1:20 was the largest in an Olympic marathon since 1960. Fast and Flat Boston Qualifying Marathons Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and other members of the sedentary media. His lifetime running odometer is past 110,000 miles, but he’s as much in love as ever.
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field
Another hot day meant no go at the world record and simply dominating a world-class field