He was also a 5,000m world champion in 2003, and won Olympic bronze and silver over 5,000m in 20 respectively. Just for good measure, Kipchoge also holds the official world marathon record of 2:01:39 and has run a sub-two hour marathon with the help of pacers. Photograph: Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images Netherlands’ Abdi Nageeye (right) celebrates as he runs to the finish line in second place ahead of third-placed Bashir Abdi (left) and fourth-placed Lawrence Cherono. Victory also made him only the third athlete to defend an Olympic marathon title, after the bare-footed Ethiopian Abebe Bikila in 19 and the East German Waldemar Cierpinski in 19.

They say that if you love sport then you accept what has happened I accepted what happened in London. “On the road, there are potholes, big and small, in life there are a lot of ups and downs. “Marathon is like life and in life there a lot of challenges,” he said. Back in October he cited a blocked ear for this poor run. Some had questioned whether the Kenyan, who is officially 36, was on the slide after he suffered his first defeat in seven years at last year’s London Marathon. “The weather was OK,” said Kipchoge, with a stoic’s resolve. Another sub-15min 5km followed and the rest was history as he took gold by 80 seconds. But then he dropped a five-kilometre stretch in 14min 28sec – in 27C heat and 73% humidity – to move out of sight of the field by 35km.

At 30km, there were 10 athletes left in the leading group. Kipchoge, though, remained impenetrably cool.

“I hope now to help inspire the next generation.”ĭespite the 7am start, conditions on the road were so hot and humid that several athletes held bags of ice in their hands to cool themselves down – or were forced to pull up at the side of the road, their legs wobbly with exhaustion. “I think I have fulfilled the legacy by winning the marathon for the second time, back to back,” he said.

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