Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Eliud Kipchoge is the sort of generational sporting great that leaves even other elite competitors in awe.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist is competing in Sunday’s Melbourne Marathon as the third leg of his world tour, which will feature Kipchoge running the 42.2km distance on each continent – even Antarctica.
Kipchoge is 41 and his last marathon win was three years ago. But the former world record holder remains at the peak of the sport.
Australian marathon great Steve Moneghetti, who met Kipchoge when he first visited the country last year, said everything about the current running boom can be linked to the Kenyan’s career.
A vast crowd was at Federation Square in the CBD on Friday to see Kipchoge, who is also the figurehead of a program to plant 5000 trees in Melbourne as part of his community work.
“Everything that’s happened in distance running, you can directly attribute to him. You should never forget that,” Moneghetti said
“While he’s in a different stage of his career, he still transcends.”
Moneghetti, who won the 1994 Commonwealth Games marathon, interviewed Kipchoge as part of this visit and was struck by his mindset.
“He said, ‘I never ran with limits’. When I ran, we’d run at a pace … if I broke 2:09, that was a mark,” Moneghetti said.
“He was revolutionising what he was going to do, and that’s a different mindset.
“The fact that he said … he had no limits, I actually thought that was really unusual, because I’d never run a marathon with no limits.
“Maybe I wish I could have … I’m no Eliud Kipchoge, I can tell you.”
Kipchoge was asked if he aimed to win Sunday’s race.
“I come here to win, I come here to inspire people, I come here to tell people to come out of their homes and run,” he said.
“I come here to run for a purpose, for education, for conservation, to plant trees.
“It’s one way to keep part of the planet, this is our home … breathe the good and clean air in Melbourne.”
This is Kipchoge’s first visit to Melbourne and he is well aware of the city’s love of sport.
“First and foremost, this is a sporting city. If it’s a sporting city, that’s a happy city,” he said.
“It’s home for all the sports – Formula One, cricket, tennis, boxing, and above all, running … a huge running community.
“This is an Olympic city – 70 years down the line, I am here to celebrate Melbourne.”
His advice was simple for the thousands of runners who will test themselves over the various distances on Saturday and Sunday at the Nike Melbourne Marathon weekend.
“If you’re going to enjoy running, run in a happy way – that’s the huge secret. Happiness is what drives your body,” he said.
