Over the past 20 years, Kenyan long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge has shattered records and smashed preconceptions of what humans can achieve. Now aged 38, the marathon man has no plans to hang up his trainers yet.
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00:00 Eliud Kipchoge has made himself a living legend in sport over the last 20 years
00:05 and he's showing no sign of stopping or slowing down.
00:09 But now he's in the unusual position of being on the comeback trail
00:12 having had his latest marathon record broken.
00:15 He joins me today for this interview.
00:17 Nice day for a run.
00:20 Good to meet you.
00:23 Thank you.
00:27 First of all I just wanted to congratulate you on your award.
00:30 How did you feel when you heard about it?
00:32 It was really overwhelming to learn that I am among the few who will be awarded
00:38 especially in my field as far as sport is concerned, but specifically running.
00:44 You've been variously described as a gift to sport, a gift to humanity.
00:49 Some people say you're the perfect marriage between mind and body, the athlete's athlete.
00:55 What does it feel like when you hear those types of descriptions
00:59 talking about you and your illustrious career?
01:01 I feel really motivated.
01:03 I feel inspired that I've inspired somebody somewhere in this universe.
01:09 That's a huge motivation.
01:11 We're living in this planet and this planet belongs to all of us
01:17 and we need to inspire everybody in this world.
01:20 We need to live in harmony. We need to live in peace.
01:23 We need to enjoy living in this world and that's what I'm working for.
01:28 Is that the secret then of your success, this desire to want to inspire others?
01:34 Because you've been at the top for 20 years in any field. That's remarkable.
01:39 I think the real success is the mastery of what you are doing.
01:46 I mastered what I'm doing in running and realised that the more I do better,
01:52 the more I inspire somebody, the more I do better,
01:54 the more I send positive vibes to a kid, the more I do better,
01:59 the more I make somebody get up in the morning and run for himself.
02:03 You're known for so many things, Olympic titles, World Championship titles,
02:08 breaking marathon records and quite recently, 2019,
02:13 when you were the first person on earth in history to run a marathon in under two hours.
02:19 What did that feel like?
02:21 It feels great actually to perform and make history back there of course.
02:29 And that signifies that there is no limit as far as humanity is concerned.
02:35 That's why I always say no human is limited.
02:37 So I'm showing people the way that doesn't mean you are a real professional runner,
02:43 to break your limits.
02:45 You might be a teacher, an educationist, an engineer, a chieftain, a lawyer,
02:49 but you need to break your own limits in this world in order to enjoy life.
02:54 I believe that life is about challenging yourself.
02:57 I believe that life is about taking a nap the whole night and waking up in the morning
03:04 as a new day, approaching a new challenge, handling that challenge and push onward.
03:10 That's an extremely motivating message there.
03:13 Then how did you feel then after breaking that record and then having the Olympic,
03:18 or sorry, the athletic authorities not recognise it?
03:24 Actually I was not running for athletics bodies.
03:28 I was running the 12th Hurry actually for human family.
03:34 I trusted the 6 billion human family actually.
03:38 I really respect what I am doing.
03:41 It's not about actually being awarded actually a record holder.
03:46 It's about making history and making change in this world.
03:49 I'm happy because I made history in sport.
03:52 I'm happy because I made change to show people that nothing is actually permanent in this world.
03:58 I'm happy because I inject the point of inspiration to many, many billions of people in this world.
04:06 Part of the reason perhaps that it wasn't without controversy,
04:09 because I don't know if you're wearing those shoes now which are called the super shoes there,
04:14 which many athletes have been wearing over the last few years, breaking records.
04:18 Your own marathon record was broken just earlier this month.
04:23 Are you planning to get it back?
04:25 I'm still angry of running fast.
04:28 I'm still angry of showing the world that I can still run fast.
04:31 I'm still angry of telling the next generation, the kids, that I still don't run for long.
04:38 Longevity is the key in sport. Longevity is the key in any profession.
04:42 You know records are meant to be broken.
04:44 It shows the beauty of sport that somebody somewhere is working for it.
04:49 For people who are not familiar with these super shoes,
04:52 can you tell us a bit about them and a bit more about how they work?
04:56 The super shoes actually works that it prevents a real impact from the heart cell or the stomach to your muscles.
05:07 The aim of running is to take care of your muscles.
05:11 The aim of the company is to make sure that you have a good fit,
05:16 but at the same time taking care of your muscles.
05:19 Now away from the track and the road, how do you deal with the fame and fortune?
05:25 First I treat myself as a human being.
05:29 Fame and fortune are things that are coming in.
05:33 I say thank you for the fame and fortune and I use the fame and fortune to inspire the young people.
05:43 I know that you've put a lot of your fame and fortune as well into your foundation.
05:47 Tell us more about that and how that started and what are its aims and achievements?
05:52 I could sit down one time and think that where I came from we had actually a limited education.
06:00 I know what makes us know to prosper was actually the rich.
06:05 I call it that thing which can carry us towards a good education.
06:09 I know in sports we need to run and breathe a good air.
06:14 Then two things came to my mind, conservation of the environment and education.
06:19 I formed the Elite Geography Foundation which deals purely with the two factors,
06:24 education and taking care of our planet.
06:27 I trust that if we make our world clean, we make our waters flow and get real clean air.
06:36 I trust that education is the key to propel sport.
06:40 I trust education is the key to get people places and go around the world.
06:45 I trust education is what makes you to actually mingle with people and have that conscience
06:53 to make this world a running world and a rapid world, to make this world a peaceful world.
06:59 My foundation is building the kindergarten and libraries.
07:05 Kindergarten is where small kids are going.
07:09 I trust that if you give a good groundwork to a small kid, that's the way.
07:17 After that, if a kid is getting a good ground, then if there is a library in school,
07:24 and the library is full of books, I trust that knowledge is in books, kids can get knowledge.
07:30 Indeed, well that's a fitting message on which to end this.
07:33 We're running out of time, but it would be remiss of me not to ask you,
07:36 we already spoke about that record that you're going for.
07:39 What are your future ambitions?
07:41 My future ambitions actually is to make this world a running world.
07:46 I trust if all of us can run in the world, we can make this world a happy world.
07:51 We can unite the world and we can enjoy this world.
07:54 Okay. Eliot Kipchake, thank you very much for joining me today.
07:57 Thank you very much.
07:58 - Thanks.
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