Eliud Kipchoge: An Unexpected Twist at the 2023 Boston Marathon

The 2023 Boston Marathon was a race to remember, especially for fans of Eliud Kipchoge. Despite his phenomenal track record and recent world record, Kipchoge ended up placing sixth, a surprising turn of events given his previous performances.

Known for his endurance and consistency, Kipchoge led the race for the first 19 miles. However, the 20th mile proved to be a turning point. When Gabriel Geay of Tanzania surged, Kipchoge lost contact and quickly fell back to seventh place​.

Kipchoge finished the race in 2:09:23, which is notably slower than his personal best and recent world record of 2:01:09 set in Berlin less than seven months prior​. The winner of the 2023 Boston Marathon was Evans Chebet of Kenya, who completed the race in 2:05:54​.

Despite the unexpected outcome, Kipchoge remained positive. In a statement after the race, he said, “Today was a tough day for me. I pushed myself as hard as I could, but sometimes we must accept that today wasn’t the day to push the barrier to a greater height…In sports, you win and you lose, and there is always tomorrow to set a new challenge”​.

Kipchoge’s performance in the 2023 Boston Marathon was out of the ordinary for the world record holder. Before this race, Kipchoge had only lost two marathons in 19 starts​​. His sixth-place finish and the time he clocked in Boston are uncharacteristic