World marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge has a major goal when he parades for the 127th Boston Marathon on Monday in the US.
The two-time Olympic marathon champion aims to compete in and win all the six Abott Marathon World Majors.
So far, Kipchoge has won Tokyo, Berlin, Chicago and London marathons in the Marathon World Majors series. The remaining races are Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon.
The world’s greatest marathoner has been training for Boston Marathon in the last four months.
In September last year during the Berlin Marathon race, Kipchoge lowered his own world record from 2:01:39 to 2:01:09, making him the fastest marathoner of all time.
Nation Sport caught up with him at the Moi University-Annex Campus track where he was doing his final speed session.
Kipchoge said that Berlin and Boston marathons are two different races. While Berlin has a a flat course, Boston has a hilly course which needs more patience for an athlete to run well.
“You can’t predict the Boston Marathon race. I’ve prepared to be an all-round athlete so that I can tackle whichever weather there will be on the race day,” said Kipchoge who is under the Global Sports Communication stable in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Training in high altitude, according to Kipchoge, is good for an athlete, adding that Kaptagat is his favourite place to prepare for races.
“I want to run course records in half of the major marathons. Currently, I hold the course records for London Marathon, Tokyo Marathon and Berlin Marathon. For me it is just like a championship where one wins a gold medal,” he said.
Geoffrey Mutai, who timed 2:03:02, has held the Boston Marathon course record for the past 11 years. He also holds the New York Marathon course record of 2:05:06.
Kipchoge said that Boston Marathon will be commemorating 10 years since a bomb exploded at the finish line killing three people and injuring more than 100 people. He said that competing in the race is one way of spreading love to the Americans.
“I’m participating to spread peace to all Americans. We are brothers and sisters and, therefore, we should live together and love one another,” he said.
Kipchoge said that he is not under any pressure.
“Running involves a cocktail of things. As journalists, you’ve seen my training. I can compare it with chefs preparing a special meal. At the end of it, I will serve the food. I believe it will be a good day for me when I cross the finish line as a winner,” said Kipchoge.
