CHASING GREATNESS

ELIUD KIPCHOGE, ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST RUNNERS, OPENS UP ABOUT PAST HEARTBREAK, TRIUMPH, AND WHERE HE GOES NEXT.

- by Freddie Hiney

Walk amongst the upper echelons of African athletes, and you'll find Eliud Kipchoge.

If Haile Gebrselassie broke barriers, Kipchoge built new ones to demolish. A double Olympic marathon gold medalist, he's competed at five Games, broken two world records, and became the first-ever to run a sub-two-hour marathon.

Asked how it feels to cross the line in world-record time, Kipchoge tells FORBES AFRICA: "It's beautiful, like being at the top of the mountain. But if you don't treat the summit as the base of another new mountain, then you are lost."

Born in Kenya's infamous Rift Valley, a high-altitude breeding ground for running icons like Kipchoge Keino and Faith Kipyegon, he has stood tall with giants of the sport, all while strutting his signature demeanor—humble and reverential.

His breakout moment came as a fresh-faced 18-year-old at the 2003 World Athletics Championships' 5,000m final in Paris, France.

Lining up against running royalty in Hicham El Guerrouj, and a highly-rated youngster in Kenenisa Bekele, a relatively unknown Kipchoge provided one of the all-time championship upsets.

"Kipchoge can't go with him [El Guerrouj]," commentator and former British runner, Steve Cram, cried out over the airwaves heading into the final bend with just over 200m to go. Seconds later, Kipchoge caught up, eventually beating El Guerrouj by some four hundredths of a second.

A star was born under the Parisian lights, igniting what would become one of the most dominant careers in running.