At 37 years old, Eliud Kipchoge made his legend even bigger in the Berlin Marathon. If anyone doubts that he is the best in history over 42,195 meters, the Kenyan delivered another huge blow on the circuit of the German capital. Four years later, he was still able to lower the historical limit of the mythical distance of athletics by half a minute. 2 hours, 1 minute and 9 seconds, a stratospheric recordone more, his second official bite at the distance in which he has dropped from two hours in laboratory conditions.
And Kipchoge’s feat came when perhaps it was no longer expected. After more than two decades in athletics, his challenge might be to seek the third consecutive Olympic gold in Paris 2024, something never achieved, perhaps to complete his collection of great marathons, a purpose that remains in his mind but that seemed to go astray when the Kenyan chose to return to Berlin, the race that he won for the fourth time this Sunday.
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He is going to fly to Berlin. It is the circuit and the perfect weather. And Kipchoge, the one who says that there are no limits, that the human being is capable of everything, sent the big one, ready for her ride of less than two hours to become official. The Kenyan went out to burst the stopwatch and the result was a record that was announced from the beginning, with a first 5 kilometers in 14:14 and an even faster second in 14:09. Kipchoge almost always ran well under three minutes per kilometer, and was amazed with a step through the half marathon in 59:51 minutes.
After kilometer 25, Kipchoge might not stand the hares, who had more than fulfilled their job. And let’s not say the rivals. Who tried to follow him, like the Ethiopian Andamlak Belihu, paid for it. At the finish line, the double Olympic champion was almost five minutes ahead of the second, his compatriot Mark Korir (2h05:58) and the third, the Ethiopian Tadu Abate (2h06:28).
Already alone, and at a speed close to 21 kilometers per hour, the Spartan of the marathon engulfed the streets of Berlin, and although he seemed to have some downturn, he kept his concentration and, as far as possible, the rhythm. He passed kilometer 30 in 1h25:40, slowed down a little more before 40, but arrived at the Brandenburg Gate full of energyin another dreamy final stretch with the public cheering as in 2018, when he ran in 2:01:39 and smashed Dennis Kimetto’s previous record in more than a minute.
Kipchoge passed faster in each set compared to then, the measured pace, the perfect refreshments served from the bicycle, and already accumulates four of the five best marks in the history of the marathonin addition to two Olympic golds and an unmatched record of 17 marathons won out of the 19 he has run since 2013only defeated in 2013 in Berlin and in 2020 in the special pandemic edition in London.
Kipchoge’s splits at the 2022 Berlin Marathon
- 5K – 14:14
- 10K – 14:09 – 28:23
- 15K – 14:10 – 42:33
- 20K – 14:12 – 56:45
- Half Marathon – 59:51
- 25K – 14:23 – 1h11:08
- 30K – 14:32 – 1h25:40
- 35K – 14:30 – 1h40:10
- 40K – 14:43 – 1h54:53
- Meta – 2:01:09
Assefa, the third fastest in history
The magic of Berlin also extended to the women’s squad, much more modest on paper, but in which some surpassed themselves, with four women under 2h20, when only two had achieved it. The Ethiopian Tigist Assefa won in 2h15:37, a Berlin record and the third best mark in history behind only Brigid Kosgei and Paula Radcliffe. After her, the Kenyan Rosemary Wanjiru (2:18:00) and Tigist Abayechew (2:18:03) entered.
