- Berlin Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge has a longstanding dream
- It involves running alongside former US President Barack Obama
- He says Obama is the person to have a great talk with about ideas
Berlin Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge has a longstanding dream which is running alongside former US President Barack Obama.
He first expressed interest in inviting Obama to Kenya for a run moments before shattering his Berlin Marathon record in 2018. Kipchoge says that his [Obama’s] personality inspires him.
“Obama has a character of inspiration, the character of unity, and it goes beyond all human nature,” remarked Kipchoge in an interview with international media.
He expounded that Obama is the person to have a great talk with about ideas. The marathon legend told NTV that the track would be the ideal location for him to speak with the 44th US president because he often gets brilliant ideas while he is running.
Eliud Kipchoge and Barack Obama. Photo by Pulse Kenya
As the first person to complete a marathon in under two hours in 2019, Kipchoge’s achievement was hailed by Obama as “a magnificent illustration of humanity’s ability to endure and keep lifting the bar.
Meanwhile, Japanese car manufacturer, Isuzu, has unveiled a limited edition of Isuzu D-Max model, dubbed the 1:59 Special’ in Kipchoge’s honour. It is in celebration of the famous INEOS challenge in Austria, Vienna in 2019.
Kipchoge became the only athlete in the world to run a marathon in under two hours; 1:59:40. Thus, Isuzu’s new model is in his honour.
Kipchoge will get the privilege of owning the first of the car when it goes on sale speculatively early in the next year. Only 159 of them will be offered on the market.
Isuzu East Africa General Manager, Rita Kavashe said this limited edition of the new Isuzu DMax seals a five-year partnership with Kipchoge.
“This partnership will cement a five-year-old partnership and open new exciting, meaningful ways to engage our customers. This is to honour Eliud in a great way for what he achieved with the Ineos 1:59 run,” she said.
Eliud Kipchoge. Photo by Capital News
Part of the proceeds from the limited 159 new pickups will go to Eliud Kipchoge Foundation. The marathoner uses the Foundation to nurture and promote young athletes in his training base of Kaptagat.
According to Kavashe, the elements of the car will be tailored to the principles that make Kipchoge successful. Fans and customers will have the opportunity to share their opinions and suggestions on social media before the final design is released.
Kipchoge implored that this will be his third leg with the manufacturer who have been with him for half a decade as he establishes a stellar marathon career. He says his efforts should encourage other corporations to support athletes just like Isuzu has done.
It is a motivation for him to own a car with his name on it. In the interim, Kavashe notes that their company’s profile has grown since they began working with Kipchoge five years ago.
Since 2017, the East African-based Japanese automaker increased their ownership of the D-Max to 50% and the double cab to 30%. This goes a long way towards demonstrating the effectiveness of these alliances
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