- 2023 Boston Marathon is not Eliud Kipchoge’s biggest loss
- His biggest career loss came in 2020
- He learnt that every day is not always a winning day
Monday’s Boston Marathon proved a hard one for Eliud Kipchoge and while many people viewed it as his biggest career failure, it wasn’t’; 2020 London Marathon is.
A few months ago, he spoke to celebrated media personality Caroline Mutoko and opened up on his biggest failure in his marathon career.
He always carries the lesson with him that there are days when the stars do not fully align.
ELIUD KIPCHOGE BIGGEST FAILURE
Looking back, he says failing to finish among the top three hurt him so much. He finished eighth, which is the lowest finishing of his over decade-long career.
“My greatest failure, is when I did not clinch a top three finish in London. I learned that there are days you will wake up very early in the morning, and it is not your day,” he says.
Eliud Kipchoge legacy. Photo. Capital News
The biggest lesson he took from this failure is that life does not lose its meaning for failing to reach the podium. This loss came at a crucial moment after making history as the first athlete in history to run a marathon in under two hours.
Prior to the 2020 London Marathon, Kipchoge smashed the INEOS 1:59 challenge in Vienna, Austria. He did a full marathon at 1:59:40 in 2019 and months later, he posted his worst career performance.
WHAT DID ELIUD KIPCHOGE LEARN FROM HIS BIGGEST FAILURE?
He has repeatedly watched the race on ESPN and he says that he understands why hydration is such an important aspect of athletics. He missed his water bottle at the Johnny Kelley statue and he dropped from the leading pack of the marathon.
While it was painful losing the race, Kipchoge says he also learnt not to make excuses over things that he fails to accomplish. Instead, he owns up and learns from it.
WHAT DID ELIUD KIPCHOGE SAY AFTER 2023 BOSTON MARATHON LOSS?
Kipchoge has broken the ice after failing to win Monday’s Boston Marathon won by fellow Kenyan Evans Chebet.
Kipchoge who had the world on him finished a distant sixth. The marathon legend intended to make history by winning all six of the world majors, but he was unable to maintain the pace of a difficult race in Boston posting a 2:09:23 finishing time.
Chebet, the defending champion, completed the marathon in 2:05:54. Benson Kipruto, the 2021 champion, came in third in 2:06:06 and was overtaken by Tanzanian Gabriel Geay, who finished in 2:06:04 following a sprint finish in the final 500 metres of the race.
Kenyans and the world at large had, for the better part of Monday, had Kipchoge as the main focus of Boston Marathon. However, he did not make it to the win, leaving many of his disappointed that he had a rocky start to his first major event for the year.
Eliud Kipchoge. Photo/Capital News
Aware of this, Kipchoge told the world that victory is never guaranteed in marathons but he is glad that he pushed himself to the end.
“I live for the moments where I get to challenge the limits. It’s never guaranteed, it’s never easy. Today was a tough day for me. I pushed myself as hard as I could but sometimes, we must accept that today wasn’t the day to push the barrier to a greater height,” he wrote on Facebook.
“I want to congratulate my competitors and thank everyone in Boston and from home for the incredible support I am so humbled to receive. In sports you win and you lose and there is always tomorrow to set a new challenge. Excited for what’s ahead,” he added.
He looked forward to the race with a lot of zeal to celebrate with the families of those who lost loved ones in the two bomb bombings that occurred in 2013 just after the race had begun.
This terror attack left three people dead and 260 others were injured. In a recent interview, he said that he is not about making new world records but breaking barriers through marathon to inspire generations.
Kipchoge only wants the world to remember him for the barriers he broke in his athletic career and not the gold medals he won. He says that his career is all about breaking barriers because he wants his legacy pegged on this and nothing else.
It’s through the broken barriers that he makes a positive impact in his community and in people’s lives and for generations to come.
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