What Are the Secrets to Running a Marathon in Less than 2 Hours?

Skill Development Expert Profile — Eliud Kipchoge

Eliud Kipchoge is the first human to run a marathon in less than two hours. In Vienna, 12 October 2019, he clocked in at 1 hour 59 minutes and 40 seconds.

This means running 42.2 kilometres, at an average speed of 2 minutes and 50 seconds per kilometre. The last kilometre was done in 2 minutes and 40 seconds. This is more or less a full sprint for two hours.

He started out with 5000 meters, where he won bronze and silver at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. He failed to make the Kenyan team for the 2012 Olympics however, which made him switch to the marathon. And since then he has developed into the greatest marathon runner of all times.

Kipchoge has won 11 of the 12 marathons he has participated in, and hasn’t lost a race in over six years. Running in one marathon, his shoe fell completely apart early in the race, but he still beat his opponents and ran a 2.04 course record. In the 2018 Berlin marathon, he kept his shoes for the whole event, and crushed the old world record by 1 minute and 18 seconds, running a 2.01.39. And in 2019 he became the first to run a marathon in less than two hours.

What are the secrets to these incredible achievements? What can we learn from the world’s greatest marathon runner?

A belief that it’s possible

“I hope I have shown many people that no human is limited. Anything is possible. I’m expecting more.” — Eliud Kipchoge

If you don’t believe something is possible, it’s tough to motivate yourself to do the practice that’s required. Eliud has many times said that he believes that anything is possible. He doesn’t think that there’s a specific limit to what’s possible and that he’ll keep pushing the boundaries.

In contrast, Paul Tergat made this comment when he set a new marathon world record of 2.04.55, in 2003:

‘I believe records are set to be broken, and to fall lower is possible. But what remains impossible is running a marathon in under two hours.’

Luckily, Eliud didn’t listen to this advice and went on to prove Tergat wrong.

Never missing a workout

“This is a man that 365 days a year, focuses on just running.” — Paul Chelimo, 2016 Olympic silver medallist.

Eliud has an incredible work ethic and is remarkably consistent in his life and practice. Through hard work and discipline, he has achieved something that many didn’t think was possible.

According to his coach Sang, Eliud has never missed a practice session for nearly 20 years. This is an incredible feat, as marathon running is incredibly hard on the body. But according to his physio, Peter Nduihu, Eliud makes his job easy, by always coming to him as soon as he feels any problem. It’s a lot easier to solve an issue if you can address it early.

After he broke the two-hour record mark in the marathon, there were no huge celebrations. Eliud returned to his camp in Kenya, had a cup of tea and went back to his practice runs.

Being humble

When he was growing up, running was purely functional. He would run the 3km back and forth to school every day and repeat it at lunchtime. He also biked a 40km route in the Kenyan highlands to sell milk.

Only when he was 18 years did he meet his coach Patrik Sang, who offered him his first training plan. Eliud wrote it down on his arm and memorised it for later.

Eighteen years later, now 35 and a multi-millionaire thanks to his running success, he has upgraded to a training journal. But most of his life has remained the same. He lives a simple life, free from as many distractions as possible. His life is all about running.

Eliud lives the life he would have lived without his stardom and is now a source of motivation for all the young runners who are training with him. They see that he is just like them, and we will probably see many future running stars among these young athletes.

Simplicity

Eliud lives a simple life in the small village Kaptagat in the Kenyan highlands. Except for all the world-class runners practising, there is not much going on there.

Our life here is simple, very simple, he says. We get up in the morning and go for a run. Then we go back, relax, have lunch and a massage. They do their afternoon run at 4 pm, and return to evening tea and resting. Dinner is always at 7.30 pm. Then they go to sleep.

The place lets the runners focus completely on what they’re doing and protect them from spending time or energy on other activities or worries.

Focus

“If you don’t control your mind, your mind control you.” — Eliud Kipchoge

Mental fitness plays a huge role when you’re running, and its important to not think about the pain you’re feeling. Kipchoge claims that he’s not just running with his legs, but also with his heart and mind. He stays super composed during a race and never spends any unnecessary energy. His only focus is on maintaining the best technique possible and pushing himself forward.

According to Eliud, the mind is essential for your running, and if you keep it calm and concentrated, then you have better control of the whole body. Eliud is almost in a meditative state as he’s running, and it seems like he has nothing on his mind.

Sacrifice and discipline

“To get a big success, you need to sacrifice yourself.” — Eliud Kipchoge

From Monday to Saturday every week, he lives away from his wife and kids. He has focused his life around achieving something incredible, and the only way to achieve it is to be 100% committed to the necessary training.

He’s extremely disciplined with every action he takes in life and rarely lets anything disrupt his routines.

‘Only the disciplined ones are free in life. If you are undisciplined you are a slave, to your moods, you are a slave to your passions.’ -Eliud Kipchoge

Tokyo 2021?

Eliud was set to defend his Olympic marathon title in Tokyo. He is in the shape of his life, and it must feel tough that the event has been postponed for a year.

But Eliud continues his practice in the small town of Kaptagat in the Kenyan highlands, with no intention of taking it easy. Although he finds it a lot more difficult to practice alone. But he still stays positive.

‘Marathons are like life. We have flat courses, downhill and hilly courses. Now we are on a hilly course. This is the hardest of times. And like in a marathon, that’s when you are struggling to go up a hill,’ Eliud says.

Take home message

You can only achieve extreme goals if you believe it’s possible. Eliud believes there are no limits to what we can achieve.

Kipchoge has practised consistently and never missed a workout in nearly 20 years.

He has stayed humble after his success and keeps working hard.

Simplicity is a key factor to success, and where he lives there are almost no distractions to take away his focus on running.

Eliud is extremely focused while running and doesn’t spend any unnecessary energy.

He has sacrificed a lot to achieve his dreams and stays disciplined every day of the year.

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