Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge has stressed that he still wants to run and win more trophies despite recent dismal performances from him.

The record-breaking Berlin Marathon champion did not finish the race during the Paris Olympic Games despite high expectations for him. Before his downgrade appearance in France, he also failed to assert his authority during the last Tokyo Marathon, where he finished 10th.

After those performances, pundits and fans alike called for the two-time Olympic champion to hang his boots, but that seems not to be in Kipchoge‘s mind for now.

“I still want to win something else,” Kipchoge told Runners World.

To him, running as a profession becomes one’s part of life, and it calls for consistency and sacrifice.

“Running is like life – full of challenges. That’s why it’s called life. You’re training, feeling tired, dealing with injury, not hitting the targets in training, not hitting the targets in rest – but consistency is the key.

“If you miss today, you wake up tomorrow. If you have a rest this month, and you actually know the goal that you set, don’t fall down. Wake up, move on every day, and next time you will achieve it. Those small, small things will be a big thing.

“You know, it’s about being consistent. It’s about pressing on every day,” he added.

Kipchoge has arguably won trophies that every marathoner would want, and now he wants to run and inspire the younger generation.

“I still want to run fast and inspire people, but the moment I call off the sport, I will not actually really, really, stop running,’ he says. ‘Instead, I will go to the big city marathons and run with a big group of a thousand people to enjoy running together and inspire every young generation,” he added.

The superstar also has a piece of advice for those who would want to emulate him: “During the race, just enjoy it,’ he advises. ‘Don’t actually put your mind to something called time – just finish that marathon. You know, it’s not about competing.

“It’s about finishing. The moment you finish, you will realise that you have done good work. It’s about accomplishment. You have accomplished what you have been training for.

“So just start. Go to the start line. Run the way you want to run. Make sure you treat yourself. Make sure you go through the finish line. That’s the important thing.”

He also hopes and trusts that his running legacy will make people respect running.