Eliud Kipchoge on why Paris Olympics marathon race was ‘not tough’ despite dropping out

Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Photo/Imago

Eliud Kipchoge on why Paris Olympics marathon race was ‘not tough’ despite dropping out

Joel Omotto 05:12 - 06.12.2024

Double Olympics marathon winner Eliud Kipchoge has given reasons why he does not consider his poor performance in Paris a flop despite not finishing his race.

Eliud Kipchoge endured a nightmare race at the Paris 2024 Olympics when he failed to finish, owing to a number of factors.

Kipchoge dropped out just past the 30km mark, being the first time he has failed to finish a race in his storied marathon career, and the experience left him with plenty of lessons.

The marathon legend had gone into the race hoping to win a third straight Olympics gold and write another chapter of history but he met his waterloo.

Speaking to Citizen TV’s JKL, Kipchoge was asked if he found the race tough but his reply was surprising given it was his worst-ever marathon performance.

“Not really (not tough) but you know sports is like that, today you are down tomorrow you are up,” said Kipchoge, adding that he has since accepted the result, having previously explained how he found it difficult to digest.

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“They say if you want to enjoy sport, you accept the outcome. I accepted the outcome, I have learned from the outcome. I am still learning and I trust that I will squeeze the juice still remaining in that orange and move on,” said Kipchoge, expressing his desire to keep going for more success.

Heading into 2025, Kipchoge is looking to right the wrongs of 2024 but he remains guarded on how he plans to approach the season and which races he will run.

“Sport is learning and it’s education so in 2025, I am still a student. I will learn more in 2025,” he further said.

The 40-year-old had earlier in the season finished 10th at the Tokyo Marathon in March, his worst-ever placing in the 42km race, and hoped to get it right in Paris before things went south.

However, having won 15 of the 20 marathons he has participated in since he made the transition to from track to road in 2013, while breaking two world records, few can bet against him bouncing back in a major way as he has done previously.