Is Marathon World Record holder Kelvin Kiptum the Next Man Up?

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Friends,

I knew the day was coming, but I didn’t expect it so soon. Eliud Kipchoge’s 201:09 world record set in 2022, in Berlin, was officially broken on October 8, 2023, at the Chicago Marathon. The man behind the new world record is from Kenya, and his name is Kelvin Kiptum, and he’s considered the next big thing in long-distance running. He’s the only person to complete a marathon under the 2:01 minute mark, and he holds 3 out of the six fastest times in history.

Kelvin Kiptum grew up in Chepsamo village, Chepkorio, in Kenya's Rift Valley. The area is the birthplace of several celebrated Kenyan runners and a mecca for foreign runners. Growing up, he herded cattle and eventually introduced himself to other runners in the village. He started training in 2013.

Kiptum was 13 when he ran his first half marathon, 18 when he won his first race, and 19 when he debuted on the international stage at the Lisbon half marathon in Portugal, finishing fifth with a personal best of 59.34. In 2020, he began training for a full marathon distance.

The year 2022 was huge for Kelvin. He became the 3rd man ever to break 2:02 in a marathon.

At the age of 23, Kiptum is now a household name. But can you imagine how much training it takes to compete at such a high level? I’m pretty sure his workout routine is insane. Let’s dive a little deeper and find out exactly how he became one of the best in the world.

“Every week, Eliud Kipchoge does between 180 and 220 kilometers. Kelvin Kiptum is more between 250 and 280, sometimes more than 300km. It’s an adventure” (Olympics.com, 2023).

That’s between 155 and 174 miles per week. Take a look at his daily routine below.

• Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays include up to 40 km of running split into a morning session of 25-28km and an afternoon session of 12km

• Tuesdays are spent at the track where he takes on those oft-dreaded fartlek sessions almost universally accepted now as key to marathon performance.

• Saturdays may include track or road sessions, while Thursdays and Sundays see Kiptum complete 40km - close to a full marathon - at marathon pace (Olympics.com, 2023).

I can tell you one thing. It takes an extreme amount of motivation and discipline to run 7 days a week with no rest. I’m not sure how long anyone can sustain this type of training regimen throughout a career, but it’s producing results.

In a pre-race interview with Olympics.com, Kiptum said he was not planning on going for a record in Chicago – at least 'for now'. However, with only 70 meters of elevation gain, and with absolutely perfect weather conditions, today was the perfect day in Chicago to take it down” (runnersworld, 2023).

So what’s next for the newly crowned record holder? According to many reputable sources, Kelvin Kiptum has been confirmed for next year’s Rotterdam Marathon, set to take place on April 14. Rotterdam is a city in the western part of the Netherlands.

The Rotterdam course is fast, and I would like to think he’ll put on a show. Kiptum is also expected to make Team Kenya for the Olympic Games in Paris, France.

So, this brings me to a question.

Is Kelvin Kiptum going down as the greatest marathon runner in history? I think it’s possible. But Kelvin is only 23, with many more races to run in his short but already storied career.

But I do believe he is the nextmanup.

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References

Kelvin Kiptum: The remarkable 300km per week training regime of the ... (2023). https://olympics.com/en/news/kelvin-kiptum-incredible-300km-per-week-training-regime

Kelvin Kiptum breaks the marathon world record - runner’s world. (2023). https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/news/a43685565/kelvin-kiptum/