Kipchoge also had his own news conference on Friday after the traditional pre-race scrum where the other elite athletes were distributed around tables in a hotel ballroom. Having never even been to Boston before this week, one of his first missions was to scout out the course, which begins with a quad-crunching descent, slaps runners with the trademark Heartbreak Hill around the 20-mile mark, and then drops down to sea level again in the Back Bay.ĭuring a training run along the Charles River this week, gawkers were shocked to see a world-class athlete in their midst.
He has also never run the New York Marathon, but said winning all six major marathons is his goal. Kipchoge has four victories each in Berlin and London, and one each in Chicago and Tokyo - all flat courses. “So it’s great that he’s coming out to get that answer.” But there would always be that question mark: How would he do on this course? And could he get it done and win here?” said Des Linden, a two-time Olympian and the 2018 Boston champion. The time does not qualify for a world record because it was run with pace-setters and other assistance that would not be allowed in an actual competition.Įven so, there has always been a sentiment among runners that no marathoner’s resume is complete without at least facing the hills and headwinds in Boston. That doesn’t even count the 1:59:40 he ran in 2019 in an exhibition in a Vienna park - the only runner ever to break 2 hours at the 26.2-mile distance. He also owns the course records in London and Tokyo. Kipchoge also has run the two fastest marathons ever - and four of the top six - breaking his own world record in September at Berlin with a time of 2 hours, 1 minute, 9 seconds. A victory would give him wins in an unprecedented five of the six major marathons.
A 38-year-old Kenyan who has been collecting marathon victories since 2013, Kipchoge will make his Boston Marathon debut on Monday in the 127th edition of the world’s longest-running long run.
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