By Lynne Wachira
The loneliness of a long-distance runner isn't another cliché. Neither is the painful irony of a lifetime’s toil being measured in hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds shorn of emotion.
Here’s the first thing Eliud Kipchoge's bio on X tells you: 1:59.40. That's history in cold digits. It was the first instance of a human running a marathon under two hours – a feat he achieved in Vienna in October 2019, albeit not officially recognised as a world record for technical reasons.
You move on to the next statistic: 2:01:09. That's the official world record for the marathon, clocked by the same man in Berlin in September 2022.
Kipchoge, Kenyan by birth and a world treasure in athletics has been pushing the limits of human endeavour for 20 years. And he's not done yet.
"I still have another world record in my legs," he tells TRT Afrika as he prepares for one more shot at the glory already his.
The hard yards
It's a Monday morning, and Kipchoge is getting ready to return to the camp, where he trains six days weekly. "I have dedicated my life to the sport and constantly put my body on the line," he says.
The last day of August is a special one for the two-time Olympic champion, who became a world-beater as a teenager when he won the 5,000m at the 2003 World Athletics Championships.
"I have learnt that self-discipline is everything," Kipchoge says, summing up two decades at the top of his game. "I am nothing without it because it has given me the power of knowing that I need to sacrifice one thing to achieve another."
But that's only life lesson No. 1 from the champion – he has 19 more to give out for every year of his glorious career.
A double birth
Like all great champions, Kipchoge has honed into a fine art the process of making firm decisions – in life, training, competition, and his moments of triumph and failure. "I am accustomed to being firm in every decision I make and sticking to it," he says.
According to Kipchoge, two important dates exist in every individual's life. "The day you were born and become fully aware of your purpose determine where you end up. I chose to inspire people by pushing the limits," he says.
The ability to fix a goal and work towards it without getting distracted has also been Kipchoge's strong suit. "Focus is everything – I believe in chasing one rabbit at a time," he explains.
Along the journey, the champion has also learnt the importance of saying no without regrets to anyone or anything that doesn't align with what he is working for at a given time. "I am very comfortable in my 'no', and it doesn’t cause me sleepless nights when that isn’t received well," he says.
Picking his people
For a champion athlete, who the person is surrounded by is as critical to performance as the physical and mental preparation. "If you lie down with the dogs, you wake up with fleas, but an eagle's company will fly you to the sky with all its force," he says.
To budding athletes, he advises the trait of taking challenges head-on. "There are two kinds of people: the problem evaders and those finding solutions. I choose to find solutions," he says.
The Kenyan great also talks about the little things that matter, like making one's bed. "It's a powerful way of taking charge of my day and everything else. It sets me up for my day," he tells TRT Afrika.
Kipchoge also gives credit to his lifelong mentor for who he is. "You must have a mentor. My coach, Patrick Sang, has mentored me since I took up athletics. I would be nothing without his teachings," he says.
Mind over matter
One of the guiding principles of Kipchoge's life is to respect everybody, which has stood him in good stead through success and failure. "I have learnt that having respect for all is paramount, regardless of where you are in life," he says.
He also speaks eloquently about the need to bet big. "I can assure you that I will keep taking many risks in life because that's the only way to elevate myself," he says.
Failure and Hope
What's an athlete's life without lessons from failure? "Learn to embrace and define failure. I am not afraid to fail. Sports is a movement; you must keep moving," Kipchoge advises.
From the embers of failure, springs hope. "This means that I always believe that something good will happen. Hope gives purpose to human existence," he says.
Stepping up to challenges in tough times is also a commandment Kipchoge preaches and practices.
"I missed out on going to the 2012 London Olympics, a stinging reality that led me to the second phase of my career. I stepped up, literally, and it's in the marathon that I have found tremendous success and a purpose," he says.
Driving force
Kipchoge believes the circumstances of his childhood defined his evolution as an athlete and a person. "I felt like I wasn't accepted by society as a fatherless child. The moment I accepted who I truly was, it changed my life forever," he says.
But the Kenyan star bears no grudges. "Always look at the goodness of every situation," he advises.
And what happens when nothing works? "Never give up," urges Kipchoge. "I never won another world title since my first world gold medal in 2003, but I now enjoy being the fastest marathoner to have lived."
Kipchoge urges everyone to leverage the power of technology and science. "Technology is meant to make our lives better," he says.
The world champion reserves the best advice for the last. "Family is everything. That’s the most important lesson of my last 20 years in running. My family is my ignition key," he says.
And just for the record, TRT Afrika's interview with Kipchoge was scheduled for 30 minutes. He wrapped it up in 29:27!
