Two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge rolled back the years to reclaim his winning touch, storming to a course-record victory at the Melbourne Marathon in Australia on Sunday as he claimed his first marathon triumph since 2023.
The 41-year-old Kenyan icon stopped the clock at 2:09:10 to clinch the Melbourne Marathon crown, shaving two seconds off the previous course record of 2:09:12 set by fellow Kenyan Timothy Ronoh in 2022.
Kipchoge’s victory also marked his first over the classic 42km distance since the 2023 Berlin Marathon, where he clocked 2:02:42 to capture his fifth title in the German capital, becoming the first athlete to achieve the feat.
In Melbourne, Kipchoge produced a commanding performance to finish ahead of Thomas Canto, who clocked 2:10:35, while Reece Edwards completed the podium in 2:14:33.
The victory was a timely statement from the marathon great, who has embarked on a continental expedition that combines his enduring competitive ambitions with a desire to experience the marathon across all seven continents.
The Kenyan great revealed how he stepped up the pace after the 30km mark, pushing himself in the closing stages as he set his sights on lowering the course record.
“I increased the pace after 30km, to see whether I can run well and beat the race record. My plan went well,” he said.
Kipchoge’s seven-continent marathon adventure began in Africa at the Cape Town Marathon on May 24, where he finished 16th in 2:13:29, before taking his quest to South America for the Porto Alegre Marathon in Brazil where he timed 2:18:39 to finish 12th.
Sunday’s outing also marked Kipchoge’s second competitive appearance in Australia, having first tested his legs at the Sydney Marathon in 2025.
At last year’s Sydney race, the marathon legend stopped the clock at 2:08:30 to finish ninth.
Kipchoge boasts one of the richest resumes in marathon history, with his Olympic triumphs in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, where he clocked 2:08:44, and Tokyo in 2020, where he won in 2:08:38, cementing his place among the sport’s all-time greats.
He is also one of the most successful athletes in the history of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, with an extraordinary 11 victories across the prestigious series.
His dominance on the streets of Berlin is the stuff of legend, having captured five titles in 2015 (2:04:00), 2017 (2:03:32), 2018 (2:01:39), 2022 (2:01:09) and 2023 (2:02:42).
Kipchoge has similarly stamped his authority on the London Marathon, winning four titles in 2015 (2:04:42), 2016 (2:03:05), 2018 (2:04:17) and 2019 (2:02:37), while adding further major crowns in Chicago in 2014 (2:04:11) and Tokyo in 2021 (2:02:40).
