Eliud Kipchoge: Kamworor can beat my record

Eliud Kipchoge has anointed Geoffrey Kamworor as the man to possibly shatter his marathon world record.

Kipchoge ran the record mark of two hours, one minute and 39 seconds in Berlin last year, while Kamworor shattered the half marathon record in Copenhagen on Sunday, clocking 58:01 in the Danish capital.

And Kipchoge is confident that the best is yet to come from the new 21km world record holder and that his training partner in Kaptagat is destined for greatness, “owing to his hard work and discipline in training.”

Toe-to-toe battle

“Absolutely! He is the man and everything is possible if we continue to embrace great planning, preparations, camaraderie, management and coaches,” said Kipchoge, 34, when asked if Kamworor is his heir-apparent in the 42km.

Kamwowor, 26, improved the half marathon world record from the previous mark of 58:18 set by compatriot Abraham Kiptum in Valencia last year.

After a toe-to-toe battle with Kenya’s Evaline Chirchir over the distance in women’s race, Ethiopian Birhane Dibaba Adugna managed to shake off the Kenyan to win in 1:05:57. Chirchir came second in 1:06:22 with compatriot Dorcas Jepchirchir Tuitoek clocking 1:06:36 for third.

Kipchoge, the reigning Olympic Marathon champion, noted that Kamworor’s victory gives him good leverage heading into the New York City Marathon on November 3.

“At Global Sports Communications management, we learn not to take our legs high, but just to carry them on the ground and that is the way we live,” said Kipchoge, who will be attempting to break the two-hour barrier in the marathon in Vienna.

The attempt, dubbed INEOS 1:59 Challenge, is programmed for October 12. And an elated Global Sports Communications coach Richard Metto said Kamworor’s performance was out of a good training programme in the last two months.

"I'm happy he broke the world record, which is a good sign of good things to come even as we prepare Kipchoge for the INEOS 1:59 Challenge," said Metto.

Kamworor disclosed that it’s the inspiration and push from his fans that drove him to break the world record.

“I have won three World Half Marathon Championship titles and my fans kept on asking me when I would down the world record. They said I am the one do it and I assured them that time will surely come,” said Kamwowor after his victory.

God’s time always the best

“This is the time and God’s time is always the best. This is really special for me even though the weather wasn’t conducive."

Kamwowor improved on his personal best by a massive 57 seconds.

Kamworor, the 2015 and 2017 World Cross Country Championships gold medallist, won the Ras-al-Khaimah Half Marathon in a personal best 58:54 in 2013.

Kamworor’s feat was good enough to erase the course record in Copenhagen, beating the time of 58:40 set by Kenyan-born Abraham Cheroben of Bahrain in 2017.