Heading into the Games seeking to win a record third straight gold medal, Kipchoge, who was tipped as the favourite, failed to finish the race, dashing any lingering hopes of the East African nation adding to their medal haul in the Summer Games.
Despite starting strongly among the frontrunners, Kipchoge faded before the 20km mark, standing lonely on the track as several runners streamed past him. He was finally dethroned as the champion after Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola, clocked 2:06:26 to secure a gold medal.
Tola smashed the previous Olympic record of 2:06.32 held by the late Samuel Wanjiru from Kenya, who achieved the feat in the 2008 Beijing Games. Belgium's Bashir Abdi bagged silver while Benson Kipruto secured Kenya a spot on the podium by earning bronze.
'You will see me in a different way'
Speaking after the race, Kipchoge told Olympic.com: “It is a difficult time for me. This is my worst marathon. I have never done a DNF (did not finish). That’s life. Like a boxer, I have been knocked down, I have won, I have come second, eighth, 10th, fifth – now I did not finish. That’s life.”
He added: “You will see me in a different way, maybe giving people motivation, but I will not run. I don’t know what next. I need to go back (home), sit down, try to figure my 21 years of running at high level. I need to evolve and feature in other things.”
Kipchoge continued: “I walked for two kilometres and I had more than 300 people on my side walking together. I could feel the love and the respect, actually.”
Kipchoge led the race for the first six miles before slipping to the back of the field.
Who is Eliud Kipchoge?
Born on November 5th, 1984, Kipchoge is regarded as the greatest marathon runners of all time, he is the 2016 and 2020 Olympic marathon champion, and was the world record holder in the marathon from 2018 to 2023, with a time of 2:01:09 set at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, until that record was broken by the late Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:00:35.
Kipchoge has run four of the 10 fastest marathons in history. He claimed his first individual world championship title in 2003 by winning the junior race at the World Cross Country Championships and setting a world junior record for the 5000m.
At the age of eighteen, he became the senior 5000m world champion at the 2003 World Championships with a championship record, then followed by an Olympic bronze for Kenya in 2004 and a bronze at the 2006 World Indoor Championships.
A five-time World Championship 5000m finalist, Kipchoge took silver medals at the 2007 World Championships, 2008 Beijing Olympics, and 2010 Commonwealth Games. He switched to road running in 2012 and made the second-fastest half marathon debut ever, at 59:25.
In his marathon debut, he won the 2013 Hamburg Marathon in a course record time. His first victory at a World Marathon Major came at the Chicago Marathon in 2014, and he went on to become series champion a record five times – for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022.
He has won the London Marathon a record four times and holds the record for most Berlin Marathon wins with five, his latest coming in September 2023.
With 15 victories out of his 18 marathons, Kipchoge’s only defeats have been a second-place finish behind Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich at the 2013 Berlin Marathon, where Kipsang broke the world record, an eighth-place finish at the 2020 London Marathon and a sixth place in his debut at the Boston Marathon in 2023.
Kipchoge’s last world record run broke his own 2018 world record by 30 seconds, which was in turn a 78-second improvement over the existing best, the greatest improvement in a marathon world record time since 1967.
On October 12th. 2019, Kipchoge ran the marathon distance for the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, achieving a time of 1:59:40.2, becoming the first person in recorded history to do a sub-two-hour marathon.
The run did not count as a new marathon record, as standard competition rules for pacing and fluids were not followed, and it was not an open event.
Kipchoge was appointed Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on October 20th, 2019, in recognition of his sub-two-hour marathon. He was named the 2019 BBC World Sport Star of the Year while in 2023, he was awarded the Princess of Asturias Award in the category "Sports".
Kenyans hail Kipchoge despite missing gold
Kenyans took to social media to hail Kipchoge saying he had done more than enough for the country and was the GOAT despite the debacle in Paris.
Judi De Gal wrote: “I love Kipchoge, he has done more than expected, he has won and won and he is still the GOAT,” while Charity Cheppu-Chep said: “Congratulations Kipchoge you put our country on the map on matters marathon, and that is something that cannot be taken away from you. You are a LEGEND.”
Actuary Musomba said: “I didn't know Eliud was 39 years old. Competing at 39 is a sign of patriotism. God bless Eliud. Kudos,” while Vivian Jepng'etich Mutai exclaimed: “Congratulations Kipchoge for the great achievements in your career. We don’t win every time. Bravo for the brave fight, your name is written in the books of great remembrance.”
“I am happy to be living during the reign of Eliud Kipchoge. Such a joy to watch him run. Truly it’s the end of an Era. The most reliable marathoner in the world.” wrote John Karia. while Essie Chelsea Chelaa said: “He remains our hero. He is still the GOAT no matter what. Tell him we truly appreciate him and all his achievements! Like in any other competition, sometimes you win and other times you lose! Congratulations Eliud, you are and you remain our hero!”
Man King concluded: "To me, Eliud is and will always be a LEGEND, there is nothing left for him to prove. He'll live to be a great inspiration to athletes all over the world. He inspired the likes of the late Kiptum and many others to come. His great achievements speak for him and we all can agree he's achieved a lot in his career. There always comes a time the Greats have to pass on the baton."
