This archive report was first published on 17 November 2019.
On November 17, 2019, world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge received a brand new Isuzu DMAX from Chairman Isuzu Board Eisaku Akazawa at Karura forest.
Speaking at the event, Kipchoge expressed his confidence in running a marathon under two hours in normal conditions, stating that there was no significant difference between the Ineos 1:59 Challenge and any other big city marathon.
“I don’t believe in limits, I trust that it’s possible to run a normal marathon under two hours. What was the difference between Vienna and normal race? The little difference is people who help you to push until the end, but it should be understood that the distance is the same, the person who runs is the same person. It’s humanly possible to run full marathon under two hours unaided,” he said.
At 35 years old, Kipchoge has now solidified his status as the greatest marathoner in history after becoming the first man to run the marathon under two hours in Vienna, Austria last month.
“In 1954, Roger Bannister hit the tape to become the first person to break the 4-minute mile and two weeks down the line, 14 athletes ran under the mile under the four minutes, I’m the one who ran the marathon under two hours, I have opened the door for them to run under two hours and I believe they will even run faster than me,” Kipchoge said.
When asked about his future plans, Kipchoge stated that he has been concentrating on his recovery for the past month and has started slowly building up his training. He plans to announce his next move in the next month.
During the event, Kipchoge also encouraged Kenyan corporations to venture into sports, praising Isuzu for their continued partnership.