Olympics 2024: Kipchoge’s First-Ever DNF Marks the End of His Olympic Career

Eliud Kipchoge¹, one of the greatest marathon runners in history, faced an unexpected and challenging moment in his illustrious career on Saturday, August 10, 2024. For the first time, the two-time Olympic marathon champion did not finish a race, marking a significant and emotional turn in his storied journey at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Despite his disappointment, Kipchoge remains determined to continue his marathon career, although he confirmed that Los Angeles 2028 will not see him competing on the Olympic stage. This article details the events of the race, Kipchoge’s reflections, and his future plans.

Race Details and Key Events:

• Kipchoge entered the marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympics with high hopes, seeking a fourth Olympic podium finish in his fifth Olympic Games. The race started under favorable conditions, with a temperature of 19 degrees Celsius and average humidity, ideal for marathon running.
• As the race progressed, Kipchoge stayed close to the leading pack until the 15km mark. However, signs of trouble emerged when he began holding his waist, indicating that something was wrong.
• The discomfort in his waist worsened, and despite the support from fellow runners like Swiss marathoner Tadese Abraham, Kipchoge was forced to drop out just after the 30km mark. Reflecting on the situation, he said, “My waist was a little bit painful. It was a sharp pain, and it was not allowing me to continue with the race.”
• For the first time in his career, Kipchoge did not finish a marathon, walking part of the race and eventually ending his Olympic journey after being overtaken by Ser-Od Bat Ochir, a six-time Olympian from Mongolia. Kipchoge expressed his disappointment, stating, “It is a difficult time for me… This is my worst marathon. I have never done a DNF (did not finish). That’s life.”

Post-Race Reflections:

• Kipchoge’s failure to finish the marathon in Paris is a significant moment in his career. Reflecting on his journey, he remarked, “It was not the race I came here for, but that’s sport. Sport is up and down. Sport is like a [garden] when you go and plant seed, then there is actually weeds and flowers, today I harvested weeds.”
• Despite the setback, Kipchoge remains committed to marathon running, although he confirmed that he would not compete in another Olympic race at Los Angeles 2028. He stated, “You will see me in a different way, maybe giving people motivation, but I will not run.”

Future Plans:

• Looking ahead, Kipchoge is contemplating his next steps after over two decades at the top of the sport. He said, “I don’t know what next. I need to go back [home], sit down, try to figure my 21 years of running at high level. I need to evolve and feature in other things.”
• He also ruled out a coaching career, saying, “I will not go into coaching. I have many other things to do than being a coach. I have to travel around the world, around the countries to motivate people.”
• Kipchoge remains focused on continuing his marathon career outside of the Olympic Games, stating, “I will continue to [run], absolutely why not?”

Legacy and Historical Context:

• Eliud Kipchoge leaves behind an unparalleled Olympic legacy, having won gold in the marathon at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
• His achievements also include setting a marathon world record in Berlin in September 2023 with a time of 2:02:42, a record that stood for only a month before Kelvin Kiptum lowered it to 2 hours and 35 seconds.

1. source: Paris Olympics 2024 ↩︎