Eliud Kipchoge: I have many plans, retiring is not one of them
By Joel Masibo, November 1, 2025Former world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge has dismissed retirement speculations, insisting that he has many plans after the Sunday, November 2, 2025, TCS New York City Marathon, a race in which he will be making his debut.
The 40-year-old, who is more often referred to as the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) in long-distance races, boasts a stellar career that has consistently put him at the top of the world athletics map.
Kipchoge dethroned
Kipchoge is the 2016 and 2020 Olympic marathon champion and was the world record holder in the marathon from 2018 to 2023, until that record was broken by the late Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Ahead of Sunday’s New York City Marathon, Kipchoge has run 4 of the 10 fastest marathons in history and is widely considered to be one of the greatest marathon runners of all time.
Despite hinting that he will continue running, Eliud Kipchoge has been struggling to impress lately. An eighth-place finish at the 2020 London Marathon and a sixth place in his debut at the Boston Marathon in 2023 looked like the starting point of his retirement. He has been defeated in his last three marathons in 2024.
Eliud Kipchoge failed to finish the marathon for the first time in his career when defending his gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, dropping out of the race after around 30 km (19 mi) as he cited discomfort around his waist. He later communicated his intention of not competing at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
No retirement plans
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s New York City Marathon, Eliud Kipchoge told NN Running Team that his focus is on the beckoning race, but plans to hang up the running shoes are not in his plans.
”My focus right now is on Sunday. I will share what comes next after the race. But I can already say I have many plans, and retiring is not one of them.” Kipchoge said.
The TCS New York City Marathon is an annual long-distance race (42.195 km or 26.219 mi) that courses through the five boroughs of New York City in the United States of America.
This year’s race will see the greatest runners of the current generation face each other for the top honours, with Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge making his highly anticipated debut this Sunday, November 2, 2025, as the 54th edition of the long-distance race unfolds.