Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge captured the Melbourne Marathon in a course record performance, crossing the finish line in two hours nine minutes 10 seconds at age 41. The victory marked his 17th career win over the marathon distance and his first since competing in the Berlin Marathon in 2023.
Kipchoge expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating that his body continues to perform at a high level despite his age. He emphasized his ability to remain competitive alongside younger athletes and expressed pride in running on the specially designed course. The race route incorporated sections of the Australian Formula One track at Albert Park and concluded inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which Kipchoge noted as a distinctive feature of the competition.
Australian runner Thomas do Canto finished as the runner-up with a time of 2:10:35, followed by fellow Australian Reece Edwards in third place. In the women’s competition, New Zealand’s Camille French took the top spot with a finishing time of 2:28:25, ahead of Australian Sinead Diver and Ireland’s Nichola Sheridan.
The Melbourne Marathon served as the third leg of Kipchoge’s multi-year world tour, during which he aims to complete a marathon on all seven continents, including Antarctica, over a two-year period. Each marathon on the tour generates fundraising for the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation, which concentrates on education, environmental sustainability and health initiatives.
Kipchoge’s career includes two Olympic marathon gold medals and additional Olympic medals in the 5000m distance. His accomplishments encompass a world championship title, 12 World Marathon Major victories and two official world records. In 2019, he became the first person to break the two-hour marathon barrier under special conditions, achieving an unofficial time of one hour 59 minutes 40 seconds in Vienna.
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