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Ethiopian long-distance legend Kenenisa Bekele will now not be under the same stable as Kenyan great Eliud Kipchoge after ditching them.
Multiple world and Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele has ended his over 20-year association with the NN Running team which also manages Kenya’s marathon great Eliud Kipchoge.
The Ethiopian veteran ditched NN Running after sealing a deal with Chinese brand Anta which will now manage his activities going forward.
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“Dear Kenenisa, I can remember we met for the first time in 2000, we have been together for so many years, and what an incredible time it has been,” NN Running boss Jos Hermens said in an emotional farewell to Bekele.
“Your many Olympics and world titles on the track as well as cross-country show how great your talent in running is. And then, we don’t even talk about your world records, you have inspired so many of us on the way. I could not be more proud of you.
“Your 2019 Berlin Marathon will be remembered as one of the greatest comebacks the world has ever seen. You came two seconds short of another world record, proving once again your phenomenal talent and strong mentality.”
Bekele, the first and only athlete to be crowned an Olympic, world outdoor, world indoor, and world Cross-Country champion, has been a thorn in the flesh for Kenyan athletes, especially on track and cross-country.
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He has five world titles, four in 10,000m and one in 5,000m, three Olympic golds (two in 10,000m), and is the most successful runner in the history of World Cross Country Championships, with six long (12 km) course and five short (4 km) course titles.
Having switched to marathon in the latter stages of his career, he won the Berlin Marathon in 2016 and 2019, missing Kipchoge’s world record by two seconds, when he clocked 2:01:41, in the German capital four years ago.
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Kipchoge clocked 2:02:42 to win the race and his time was a bit slower than his world record time which stands at 2:01:09.
“We’re taking long-distance running to new heights with Kenenisa Bekele. In our partnership, we’re looking forward to optimising the Kenenisa Resort and Sport Center and provide elite athletes with better training services and guarantees,” Anta said while announcing the signing of Bekele.
The first assignment for the 41-year-old with his new stable will be the Valencia Marathon in December this year before the Paris 2024 Olympics where he will likely face his now former stable-mate Kipchoge.
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