Eliud Kipchoge Triumphs in His First Marathon in Three Years, Claiming His Body Is Still at Its Best

Eliud Kipchoge, often regarded as Marathon's greatest competitor, has announced to the next generation of athletes that he remains active in the sport. The 41-year-old Kenyan celebrated his impressive debut at the Melbourne Marathon on Sunday, setting a new race record and captivating thousands of fans at the MCG finish. By breaking the previous record by two seconds, Kipchoge completed the marathon in two hours, nine minutes, and ten seconds, marking his first victory in three years.

Accompanying him for about 30 kilometers was Jimmy Whelan, a former Australian professional cyclist. Kipchoge then accelerated, ultimately dominating the remainder of the race. Afterward, he spent over thirty minutes celebrating with fans at the MCG boundary fence, seemingly as relaxed as if he had completed a training run. Despite the media frenzy at the finish, Kipchoge handled the situation with ease.

Reflecting on the event, Kipchoge remarked, “The crowd is so wonderful – I’ve never seen a crowd like this. Melbourne is really, really a sporting city.” He expressed confidence in his abilities, stating, “I believe that my body is still peaking – still able to compete with the next generation. The oldest athlete is still competing, but I am happy to run with the Gen Zs.”

Kipchoge shared his race strategy: “I increased the pace after 30km to see whether I can run well and beat the race record. My plan went well.” He noted that his visit to Melbourne was more than just another race, being the third leg of his global marathon tour, which includes running marathons on each continent, even Antarctica. Kipchoge also engaged in community activities during his stay, acknowledging Melbourne’s rich sporting history.

Describing his experience, Kipchoge said, “The culture of Melbourne is wonderful. Over the last four days, I’ve seen that sport can truly do wonders. It was four-in-one – tennis, finishing at the cricket, the Olympics in 1956, and running on the Formula One track. I will come back to Melbourne to watch the tennis, the Formula One next year, and see people playing cricket. This is the best track ever.”

While Kipchoge could have finished a few seconds quicker, he chose to wave to the crowd on the half-lap inside the MCG, adding a personal touch to his performance. This marks his second visit to Australia, having previously finished ninth in the 2025 Sydney Marathon.

Australia's Thomas Do Canto came second in 2:10:35, with Whelan finishing fifth. New Zealand's Camille French won the women's race in 2:28:25, followed closely by Australia's Sinead Diver in 2:28:49. Australian Seth O’Donnell and New Zealander Georgie Gregec claimed the half-marathon titles.

Earlier in the day, a woman was taken to the hospital after being struck by a car near Flinders Street station, approximately 200 meters from the marathon route.