- Eliud Kipchoge failed to win the Boston Marathon
- He says a left foot problem caused it all
- Kipchoge finished sixth in 2:09:23
Wet weather on Monday morning in Boston wasn’t the reason why Kenyan marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge failed to win the Boston Marathon; a left foot problem caused it all and now he isn’t sure if he will compete in New York Marathon.
Kipchoge says that his left foot developed some pain and eventual discomfort after the first 30 kilometres of the race.
The Berlin Marathon champion finished sixth in 2:09:23, a dismal record in his entire career. He was eyeing victory with 17 victories out of 19 marathons he has competed in.
“I had a problem with my leg and it wasn’t easy to continue strong after 30km, but I felt the drive to finish the race despite the hurdle. It wasn’t the weather but my left foot that was the problem,” he told Nation on Wednesday.
He said that strategies for the upcoming summer season will be on the table for discussion together with his team.
Eliud Kipchoge. Photo/The Globe and Mail
Kipchoge noted that Monday was a bad day in his sports career which cast doubt on his presence in New York Marathon. He is going back to the drawing board to know if or not he will run in New York.
Fellow Kenyan Evans Chebet successfully defended his Boston Marathon victory posting a record time of 2:05:54.
Kenyans and the world at large had, for the better part of Monday, had Kipchoge as the main focus of the 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.
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.
Eliud Kipchoge. Photo/Capital News
“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.
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