Eliud Kipchoge in awe after receiving Princess of Asturias Award

© Eliud Kipchoge

ATHLETICS Eliud Kipchoge in awe after receiving Princess of Asturias Award

Abigael Wafula 10:30 - 21.10.2023

Eliud Kipchoge has taken to his X handle to explain what it means to receive the Princess of Asturias Award.

Former world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge is in awe after receiving the prestigious Princess of Asturias Award.

Kipchoge, the five-time Berlin Marathon champion shared his delight with his fans on his X (Twitter) handle after being awarded on Friday night at Oviedo.

In the heartfelt post, he explained how running means so much to him and he encouraged his followers to believe that there are no limits and they should go for whatever they want.

In a lengthy post, he said: “Receiving the Princess of Asturias Award tonight fulfills me with honor, as it’s an acknowledgment for something that I’ve believed in thoroughly throughout my career. To some, running is simply an act of physical movement.

But ever since I started running as a young boy in Kapsabet, Kenya, I knew running meant something much greater than that.

Running is not just physical movement. Running is a vehicle that has the power to unite us. We can only achieve greatness if we fully believe that there is nothing holding us back. There are no limits, just what our mind tricks us to believe.

So, I urge to you see the world this way. To see the world without limits and to see all that is possible. A running world is a happy world. A running world is a united world. Muchas gracias.”

Kipchoge was awarded due to his dominant exploits so far in his career that have seen him make history from time to time.

He is the only man to have broken the two-hour barrier by clocking 1:59:40 back in 2019. However, the time is not recognised by World Athletics since the race did not meet its standards.

The four-time London Marathon champion has also broken the world record twice. He first made history at the 2018 Berlin Marathon, clocking 2:01:39 to break the previous world record by a minute and 18 seconds.

He then clocked 2:01:09 at the 2022 Berlin Marathon to shatter his own world record. However, the record has since been broken by 23-year-old Kelvin Kiptum who clocked 2:00:35 to win the Chicago Marathon two weeks ago.