When Eliud Kipchoge crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon in 17th place, few expected the next step he would take. The Kenyan running icon, widely hailed as the greatest marathoner in history, announced a new global mission, the Eliud Kipchoge World Tour.
Over the next two years, the 40-year-old plans to run marathons on all seven continents. His goal, he said, is no longer about medals or world records, but about connection and inspiration.
“Seven marathons on all seven continents, together with all of you,” Kipchoge wrote on Facebook. “With this World Tour, I want to compete for records and the people. I want to inspire, give back, and remind everyone that no human is limited in every corner of the world.”
The announcement came hours after his run in New York, his first on the city’s hilly course and the first time he has taken on three marathon majors in a single year. He finished in 2:14:36, a modest time by his extraordinary standards. Two months earlier, he placed ninth in the Sydney Marathon with 2:08:31.
If the result suggested the closing chapter of a remarkable competitive career, his next move signals a broader purpose. Kipchoge’s upcoming website, eliudsrunningworld.com, will chronicle his seven-continent journey and highlight causes he supports from education and environmental protection to community empowerment.
Kipchoge’s track record is already the stuff of legend. Since making his marathon debut in 2013, he has won 11 of his first 12 races, claiming victories in London, Berlin, Chicago, and Tokyo. In 2019, he made history by breaking the two-hour barrier at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, an achievement once thought impossible.
While New York may have marked the end of his reign as a dominant force on the roads, the “World Tour” feels like a continuation of the same spirit that defined his career: quiet determination and a belief that human limits are there to be redefined.
Kipchoge’s words, once again, echo far beyond the finish line — “No human is limited.”
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