This archive report was first published on 11 October 2019.
Published on October 11, 2019, a section of the British media has raised concerns about Kenyan Olympic world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge's shoes, suggesting they give him an unfair advantage. The allegations also link him to doping.
According to reports, almost 150 Kenyan athletes tested positive for drugs between 2004 and 2018. This has sparked skepticism about Kipchoge's attempt to break his own record.
“It is reasonable to have some element of scepticism in the current climate,” said a British media outlet. “Almost 150 Kenyan athletes tested positive for drugs between 2004 and 2018, while there have been recent reports of corruption in the Kenyan anti-doping programme.”
Another media outlet reported that Kipchoge's Nike prototype ZoomX Vaporfly X has a unique design that could provide a significant boost to his running. “Maybe just enough bounce to take 26 seconds off a marathon attempt,” they said.
When asked about the doping allegations, Kipchoge replied, “I respect everybody’s thoughts and I hope they respect mine, too. The law of nature cannot allow all of us to come together.”
On October 12, 2019, Kipchoge will attempt to break his own record by running the 42-kilometre distance in one hour 59 seconds in Vienna. He previously ran the same distance in two hours, one minute and 39 seconds in Berlin.
