Eliud Kipchoge is a decorated Kenyan athlete who is set to make history and shine a bright light not only on himself but also on Kenya this Saturday in Vienna, Austria. He will be participating in a challenge dubbed INEOS 1:59. If and when he is successful, he will set a groundbreaking record for being the fastest man ever to run a marathon under the two-hour mark. Eliud Kipchoge, who is the current record holder of the World Marathon with a time of 2:01:39 hours, will be looking to add another record to his name, what’s one more?
Below are 10 Interesting facts about Eliud Kipchoge that cement his legacy as being Kenya’s Greatest athlete of all time.
- He lost his father when he was young.
Eliud Kipchoge, who is the last born of five siblings, has no memory of his father as he died when he was very young. Kipchoge says that the only image he has of his late father is the one he sees in pictures. He and his siblings were raised by his mother who was a nursery school teacher.
- His childhood was marred by poverty.
With the salary of a nursery school teacher, Eliud’s mother struggled to fend for the family and often when through some tough times. Eliud would have to run almost six kilometres every day to get to the nearest primary school.
- His first job was as a milk vendor.
After leaving high school in 1999, Eliud got a job where he was supposed to collect milk from the villagers and cycle for 20kilometres to Kapsabet town. He would get paid one shilling for every one litre that he transported. The highest he ever got paid was 75shillings, which means he had ferried a total of 75litres. After five months, he had saved enough to buy his first pair of running shoes and sporting gear.
- He has not always been a record setter.
In 2001, he participated in the provincial championships where finished in the 21st position. This could have been partly because he had self-trained himself to that point, only casually running with friends for practice. He didn’t have a professional trainer to guide him then.
- Athletics legend Patrick Sang played a huge role in his success.
After his first major win in a 10km marathon, Mr. Sang gifted him with a stopwatch, training gear and most importantly, a training program which was instrumental in helping him develop the discipline and dedication that a professional athlete needed to succeed.
- He is still a young man.
For all Eliud Kipchoge has achieved in the course of his career, he still has many more years of running marathons. Looking at his face you might conclude that he is an old man, but he is just 34 with a beautiful and three children. Kipchoge refers to himself as an old soul. This is evident in the way he articulates his thoughts; he is a man full of wisdom.
- His medal cabinet.
It’s hard to keep up with all the races that Eliud Kipchoge wins because for every race he has entered in his professional career, he always gets a podium finish. In total, he has racked up 17 medals in major competitions. 11 golds 4 silvers and 2 bronze.
- Awards.
Such a seasoned and accomplished athlete is bound to receive a lot of recognition for all his excellence and consistency. He has accepted awards all over the world and we cannot bet against him getting even more in the days to come.
AIMS Best Marathon Runner Award – Men: 2015, 2016, 2017
2018 United Nations Kenya Person of the Year
2018 IAAF Male athlete of the year award
2019 Exceptional achievement gong Laureus Sports Award
- His Net Worth.
Eliud has won 10 of the 11 marathons he has entered. He has won at the Olympics and broken the marathon record by 1min 39secs. It’s safe to say that he won’t be having any money problems anytime soon. His on-track net worth is estimated to be 2.5million dollars. All of which he rightfully deserves. Below is the prize money he has earned after winning some major races.
Berlin marathon (2013, 2015, 2017, 2018)- 20 million Kenya shillings.
London Marathon won all races – 16.5 million shillings.
- He is humble.
All through the fame and fortune, Eliud Kipchoge has remained as humble as he was all those years ago when he was ferrying milk to Kapsabet on his bicycle. He is soft spoken, holds the Kenyan flag and the people in high regard and has managed to stay away from trouble despite his celebrity status. He still lives in Eldoret with his family, and he chooses to live a simple life. We all love Eliud for what he has done for our country and we wish him all the best. Follow this account on twitter to find out what Eliud Kipchoge is up to @INEOS159. You can also follow his personal account @EliudKipchoge.
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