When marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge steps out on his frequent runs, he is most likely listening to a Kelly Clarkson jam from his headsets.
Kipchoge, just like many athletes use headphones for an extra push of motivation during training, and to block out distracting ambient noise.
It is extremely important for him to carefully consider what type of headphones he uses and it’s probably the reason he settled for a pair that goes for between Sh20,000 and Sh30,000 if you include shipping costs.
Among the top 10 essential items Kipchoge owns are a pair of Chinese headphones brand Aftershokz.
“These earphones are really unique. You can see it's written no human is limited, which is my slogan and I have signed it myself,” he told GQ in a recent interview.
The surprising part about the earphones is that, unlike other types, these don’t actually go inside your ear.
They use bone conduction technology which means sending vibrations to your inner ear without covering your ear.
This is particularly important to Kipchoge because when he is running, he gets to listen to his favourite tracks without sacrificing his situational awareness. While running on the road, these earphones can mean life or death.
Since these headphones don’t block or even touch the ear canal, they allow him to hear other pedestrians, passing cars, and any other potential hazards on the road.
The Aftershokz are also very comfortable to wear, unlike your ordinary in-ear headphones that can become irritating after a while.