Kipchoge chases history, legacy in Sapporo Olympic Marathon showdown

TOKYO, Japan, Aug 7 – Whenever he laces up his shoes to run a marathon, world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge has by and large remained the focal point of countless media platforms across the globe.

Rightly so, the first man to deliver a sub 2-hour performance in a non-competitive setting, will on Sunday, August 8 return to defend this coveted Olympic title with verve and vigor.

With an apparently insatiable appetite for success, Kipchoge is looking to deliver back-to-back gold medals at the Games, which will make him the third man to do so after Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia (1960, 1964) and German Waldemar Cierpinski (1976, 1980).

Kipchoge chalked up the men’s Olympic marathon gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games after clocking 2:08:44hours, which was incidentally more than a minute faster than second-place finisher, Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia.

Kenya’s three-man team then had Stanley Biwott and Wesley Korir both who failed to survive the demanding course in Rio.

Wesley, former University of Louisville runner, cited the water mix-up as the reason why he and his fellow Kenyan runner Stanley Biwott were not be able to finish the race.

But Rio’s tale is now “water under the bridge”.

While the bulk of the Olympic competitions are taking place in Tokyo, the marathon races will be staged in Sapporo, which is located 500 miles north of the host city.

Local Olympic organizers were eager to keep the race in Tokyo, but the International Olympic Committee pushed to relocate both marathons and the race-walking events in October 2019 due to concerns about high temperatures in Tokyo.

Kipchoge happens to be the only survivor from the Rio squad and will this time round team up with compatriots world bronze medalist, Amos Kipruto and Boston Marathon champion Lawrence Cherono who have savoured superb form over the past few months.

Kipchoge candidly admits that the pressure to defend his title is palpable in the hot and humid Japanese conditions.

“Pressure is immense but my primary aim is to participate in the Olympics. Secondly, it’s to try my best to get a medal which I think I will manage. I am not actually bragging about my medal prospects but what I’m saying is that I will treat myself as the best one. But then again, every athlete here is good and indeed the fact that there is only one good at stake. I am not going for the record though.”

Kipchoge, has been shaping up at the Global Sports Communication camp in Kaptagat where he’s glad he has not experienced any hiccups so far.

“The pandemic has been a hindering factor though in sports as a whole. I want to believe distractions will be there but the good thing is it will affect all and sundry in the world of sport.”

Kipchoge says they are trying their best as a team to adapt the weather conditions in Sapporo.

“We have tried our best to do what is necessary to fit into the weather situation of Sapporo.” Kipchoge narrated.

For Kipruto, he says he is feeling good going into the race.  

“The essence for me has always been to run a clean completion. I know Eliud is a really disciplined and humble guy. Running with him will be really great. My personal best is 2:03.30 and I have been building up on it gradually and I know I will reach where Eliud is.” Kipruto said.

This will the second race Kipruto will run against Eliud. “When he broke the world record, I came second. He is still a cut above the rest. But I have always been looking up to him for success and slowly I believe I will be there.”

Boston and Chicago marathon champion Cherono exuded confidence saying: “We will be running without pacesetters and that won’t be easy. I have never participated in an Olympic or World Championships but when I did Boston Marathon, I realise marathoners were very cautious and tactical people. It needs someone with good calculation of the situation.

However, the Kenyan trio will face stiff competition from the Ethiopian team that has strong contenders.

Shura Kitata

The Ethiopian knows what it takes to beat Eliud Kipchoge. The 25-year-old Kitata was the star as he topped the 2020 London marathon when Kipchoge finished eighth.

Before then the closest he had come to the Kenyan was when he finished a surprise second at the 2018 race in the British capital.

Kitata, the winner of the Ethiopian marathon trials at high altitude, is a strong finisher and aggressive runner who can push Kipchoge to the line as he seeks to win his nation’s first marathon title in 20 years.

22-year-old Gezahegne Abera, the youngest marathon champion in Olympic history, was Ethiopia’s last marathon winner at Sydney 2000.

Lelisa Desisa

Lelisa Desisa is a championship runner. He triumphed in less than ideal conditions when he won gold at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, to add on to the marathon silver he had won in 2013.

He knows Kipchoge on the course well. He was part of Nike’s Breaking2 attempt in 2017, when the fastest marathoner won in 2:00.25.

The 31-year-old won the New York marathon in 2018 to add on to his two Boston marathon victories and could be a legitimate threat to Kipchoge.

Stephen Kiprotich

He became a household name when he stunned the world to win Uganda’s second Olympic gold medal ever at London 2012.

Stephen Kiprotich proved that his victory at the Olympics was not a fluke by winning the 2013 World marathon title.

He returns to the Olympic course for the third time eager to atone for his 14th place finish in Rio.

His fifth place at the NN Mission Marathon in the Netherlands in April 2020, behind the winner Kipchoge, proved that he can still go the distance.

-Alex Isaboke is reporting from Tokyo, Japan