No Rest for Kipchoge: Marathon Legend Launches Worldwide Tour

Kenyan marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge has announced a new global running initiative aimed at promoting education and environmental sustainability.

Following his 17th-place finish at the New York City Marathon on Sunday, where he clocked 2:14:36, his slowest career time, the two-time Olympic champion confirmed plans to launch Eliud Running World, a world tour beginning in 2026. The project will feature seven marathons across seven continents, each supporting local education and environmental projects.

“This is not a farewell,” Kipchoge said. “It’s a new beginning. From now on, I’ll run for a greater purpose.” 

His remarks highlight a shift from competitive racing to global advocacy, building on the work of the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation, which he established in 2020 to advance education and environmental causes. The announcement came one day after Kipchoge received the prestigious six-star medal for completing all seven World Marathon Majors (WMM) races—Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, and Sydney, which joined the WMM circuit in 2025. 

The New York race marked the end of a 22-year competitive marathon career in which Kipchoge redefined endurance running. Among his most notable achievements is the historic 1:59:40 run in Vienna during the 2019 INEOS 1:59 Challenge, when he became the first person to complete a marathon in under two hours. 

Though not recognised as an official world record, the performance captivated a global audience and reinforced his reputation as a pioneer in long-distance running. Kipchoge also holds the official marathon world record of 2:01:09, set in Berlin in 2022, and remains the only athlete to have won the Berlin Marathon five times.

While his competitive career winds down, Kipchoge’s influence continues to grow. His planned world tour will cover North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Antarctica, with each event highlighting local initiatives such as school libraries, learning programmes, and environmental restoration. His NN Running Team confirmed that further details of the project will be released in due course.

“Every child deserves knowledge, education, and clean air to breathe,” Kipchoge said, expressing hope that the tour will inspire young people to pursue a sustainable future.