The wall of a marathon comes when a runner runs out of strength and can’t face what’s left. It is always said that this is usually around 30 kilometers. And this is not only a matter of inexperienced runners, but also of big stars. challenge at that point Eliud Kipchoge, The best marathon runner in history and the current world record holder with 2.01.09 hours, to add the world’s oldest marathon to his magnificent record. The goal of adding the Fifth Major is pending for the Kenyan, who has won in Chicago, London, Berlin and Tokyo and has never raced in New York.
Kipchoge lost his footing on the rough slopes of Heartbreak Hill. after a provision he couldn’t catch, and his opponents confirmed this by launching an attack that he could no longer respond to. He took the sixth place with a time of 2.09.23, three and a half minutes after winner Evans Chebet (2,05.54). The 34-year-old Kenyan repeated his victory last year with a sprint that left Tanzanian Gabriel Geay (2.06.04) and 2021 winner Kenyan Benson Kipruto (2.06.06) unanswered in the final kilometers.
Ten years after the attack
Ten years after the attack that killed three people on the final stage, Boston awoke to the 127th edition of its prestigious race with a rainy day, which dampened the event’s great appeal. Because as in the 2020 London marathon, where he finished in eighth place, Kipchoge succumbed to adverse weather conditions for him. Also, the 38-year-old marathon runner entered the marquee at the finish line with a limp that could reveal a physical problem.
He didn’t show it until that 30km, where he always started at the head of a pack of seven runners. He did it with that majestic run that characterizes him. The rain had eliminated the possibility of breaking the record for the best in history in Boston. Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya in 2011 with 2.03.02. Kipchoge ran the half marathon at 1.02.19 and his final time was estimated at 2.04.38. Something that turned out to be impossible for everyone.
The hero of the test took off his gloves at a moment when at the 27th kilometer everything seemed to fit the planned scenario. But three kilometers later came the moment when the leader fell out of the group and wanted to finish the race like a great champion, obviously out of breath. He did so with the worst time of 20 marathons, including two unconfirmed marathons in Vienna and Monza, which he ran his entire career. It only surpassed 2.08 in the two Olympic gold medals in Rio-2016 and Sapporo-2021.