Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge was awarded the prestigious Princess of Asturias Sports Award for 2023 and also spoke about Kevin Kiptum who recently smashed his previous world record.
The award ceremony took place on Friday, October 20, in Oviedo, Spain and was presided over by Spain’s Royal Family.
Awardees of the annual Princess of Asturias Award each get $53,000 (Sh7.9 million), a sculpture expressly created for the awards as well as a certificate.
Kipchoge, known as "the philosopher" in international sporting circles for his strategy and concentration in running, has won in 10 editions of four major marathons, including London and Berlin four times each.
In his acceptance speech, Kipchoge expressed deep honour and gratitude for being acknowledged with the Princess of Asturias Award.
He said that for him, running is more than a mere act of physical movement, but a way to unite the world.
“We can only achieve greatness if we fully believe that there is nothing holding us back. There are no limits, just what our mind tricks us to believe. So, I urge to you see the world this way.
“To see the world without limits and to see all that is possible. A running world is a happy world. A running world is a united world,” he said.
Kipchoge speaks on Kelvin Kiptum’s world record
Speaking to the media in Spain, Kipchoge gave his opinion about Kelvin Kiptum, who set a new world record of 2:00:35 in the Chicago marathon.
Kipchoge said he was happy for Kiptum’s achievement, and it did not come as a surprise to him.
The legend marathoner had been facing pressure to comment about the 23-year-old’s performance in the Chicago marathon.
"I was not surprised about [Kiptum] breaking the world record,” Kipchoge said.
“I was happy to see the record being broken…I am looking forward to seeing records being broken because I have shown them the way,” he added.
The two are expected to go head to head at the 2024 Olympic Games, and Kipchoge is looking forward to the clash.
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