In the race that was won by compatriot Evans Chebet, Kipchoge settled for sixth place in 2:09:03.
World marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge has revealed that a problem he encountered a with his left leg during the race was what set him back from achieving his dream at the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 17.
Kipchoge revealed that the challenge came when he was approaching the 30km mark but he had no choice but to keep going.
He added that he was keen on impressing the fans and he was apologetic for the disappointing show he displayed.
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“I had prepared for this race for five months and I was expecting to run a beautiful race. My left leg developed an issue and I could not run well when we were approaching the 30km mark. I had to run in a way that was comfortable and had to slow my pace
My training is usually all rounded and I did not face any challenge with the course or weather,” he said.
In the race that was won by compatriot Evans Chebet, Kipchoge settled for sixth place in 2:09:03.
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The legend lost steam in the final few kilometers ending up 6th.
The four-time London Marathon champion disclosed that there was a lot going on in his mind at the time but quitting was not an option for him.
“I had to tell myself to keep pushing forward. It is always said that it’s important to win but I believe it’s great to participate and finish. Resilience is one of the recipes for success,” he said.
Going forward, the four-time Berlin Marathon champion revealed that he has not set his eyes on another race considering he will have to go back to the drawing board and plan with his management.
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“I will take time off and my main focus is to recover both mentally and physically. This race has destabilized everything and I need to go back and rearrange my schedule. Afterwards, I will sit down with my team and see what’s next for me,” he said.
The 2021 Tokyo Marathon champion added that he would be glad to go back to Boston and this time round, win the race.
After his loss at the Boston Marathon, Kipchoge noted that there were two major take outs from that. “Failure is not suicide and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” he revealed.
He also lauded his management for the support they accorded him during the difficult time he was going through.