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 Amos Abuga

World marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge has sympathised with athletes who had devoted so much time to prepare for the April 26 London Marathon which has now been pushed to October 4 due to the coronavirus.

Kipchoge, who became the first man to run a marathon under two hours last year, took to social media to share his sentiments.

“It is unfortunate news that the @LondonMarathon has been postponed but I fully respect the decision made by the organisation as safeguarding the health of the world always takes our top priority,” Kipchoge tweeted.

He went further: “To the thousands of runners, who with me, have devoted the last months of our lives towards this goal I would like to say: Be proud of the work you have put into this journey, keep smiling and seek your next goal on the horizon to continue running in a smooth and positive way!”

The race was highly-anticipated as two of the fastest runners in marathon, record holder Kipchoge (2:01:39) and Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele (2:01:41), the second fasted, were set to clash in London.

Race director Hugh Brasher said: “The world is in an unprecedented situation grappling with a global pandemic of COVID-19 and public health is everyone’s priority.

We know how disappointing this news will be for so many, the runners who have trained for many months, the thousands of charities for which they are raising funds and the millions who watch the race every year.”

“We are extremely grateful for all the support we have received from City Hall, the London boroughs of Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, the City of Westminster and the City of London, Transport for London, the emergency services, The Royal Parks, BBC TV and many others as we worked to find an alternative date. The 40th Race is scheduled to go ahead on Sunday 4 October 2020.”