Eliud Kipchoge won the Melbourne Marathon on Sunday in two hours nine minutes and 10 seconds, his first marathon victory since Berlin in 2023.
Zoom in: Kipchoge ran with Jimmy Whelan, a former Australian professional cyclist, until about 30km, then lifted the pace and dominated to the finish inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
What they're saying: "I believe that my body is still peaking, still able to compete with the next generation," Kipchoge said. "The oldest athlete is still competing but I am happy to run with the gen Zs."
- "I increased the pace after 30km, to see whether I can run well and beat the race record," he said. "My plan went well."
By the numbers: The 2:09:10 beat the old race mark by two seconds over a new course, and it was his 17th win at the distance at age 41. Australia's Thomas Do Canto was runner-up in 2:10:35.
The backstory: Melbourne is the third leg of a world tour in which Kipchoge plans to run a marathon on every continent, including Antarctica. He finished ninth at the 2025 Sydney Marathon on his previous trip to Australia.
- New Zealand's Camille French won the women's race in 2:28:25, with Australia's Sinead Diver finishing next.
Why it matters: Endurance peaks keep moving later. A 41-year-old broke a course record and then spent well over half an hour greeting fans at the boundary fence, which reframes what the back half of an athletic career can look like.
