The two-time Olympic marathon champion also revealed that New York City could be her last marathon major.
As Eliud Kipchoge prepares for the New York City Marathon this Sunday (November 2), he is already thinking about new challenges after his professional career.
Having already competed in London, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, Sydney and Tokyo, the 43-year-old Kenyan will collect his seventh and final star in the Big Apple, marking the end of all Abbott World Marathon Majors.
Kipchoge has now revealed that the upcoming New York City Marathon, the 24th competitive 26.2-mile race of his career, could be his last.
“November and it’s New York… It’s a place that’s been on my mind for a long time,” Kipchoge said. Olympics.com. “It’s time for me to go out there and get seven stars before I embark on my new journey of running for other things, running for a purpose.
“I’m really ready to run well. I will try to be on the podium, (for me) it’s like any other serious, normal race. I will struggle to run well on the streets of New York. It’s not just about participation, it’s about competition.”
The two-time Olympic marathon champion, who is also an 11-time world marathon champion, later teased a “huge announcement” at a news conference after he finished the race on Sunday.
However, he has already outlined ambitions that include running in Antarctica and 50km across Saudi Arabia, to name just a few.
“It’s really good to still be pushing at my age, I’m showing people that age is just a number,” she added. “I’m happy because my age is still good with training. I still train with the little ones. That’s my happiness…”
Kipchoge last competed in the Sydney Marathon in August, where he finished 9th (2:08:31). The Kenyan, who also finished sixth in April’s London Marathon (2:05:25), will compete in three marathons in a calendar year for the first time in his professional career.
