“This is the right time to train on the course which we have nicknamed ‘Boston’ here in Kenya,” he told Daily Nation. Kipchoge’s world record of 2:01:09, set at last year’s Berlin Marathon, will therefore likely remain untouched, but Geoffrey Mutai’s course record of 2:03:02 from 2011 is a target for the 38-year-old.Īhead of this year’s race, Kipchoge says he has been running on a hilly course near his training base in the Kenyan village of Kaptagat, specifically designed to replicate the undulations of the challenging Boston course. Starting in Hopkinton and finishing in Copley Square, the Boston Marathon is a point-to-point course, meaning it is not eligible for a world record – although the hills and windy conditions often lead to slower times than at other major marathons. Runners approach the finish line of last year's Boston Marathon. READ: Portrait of terror - The iconic photo that captured the fear of a resilient city after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombingĮthiopian Lelisa Desisa, who won the men’s race that year and donated his medal to the city, returns to Boston, while two other previous champions – Kenyans Evans Chebet and Benson Kipruto – will be looking to challenge compatriot Kipchoge for the title.īut few would expect Kipchoge, beaten only twice in his career over the 26.2 miles of the marathon, to be defeated in Boston this year. ![]() ![]() It means this year’s elite races, boasting some of the strongest fields ever seen at a major marathon, promise to carry added emotion. ![]() This year marks the 127th running of the Boston Marathon and the 10-year anniversary of the double bombings that took place near the finish line, killing three people and injuring at least 264. The two-time Olympic gold medalist and marathon world record holder has won titles in Berlin, London, Tokyo and Chicago – four of the world’s six marathon majors – and is the favorite in the elite men’s race in Boston. Eliud Kipchoge can further his status as one of – if not the – greatest distance runners of all time when he makes his Boston Marathon debut on Monday.
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