The Kenyan marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest ever in distance running, reached a major inflection point at the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon. This race marked not just another entry on his storied resume, but the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another.
Kipchoge’s performance in New York wasn’t the dominant one fans had grown accustomed to. He finished in 17th place with a time of 2:14:36. But the significance is less about the finish time and more about what it symbolises: a full stop on his elite-competitive marathon career, and the first step into something bigger. He himself said:
> “This is not a farewell. It’s a new beginning. From now on, I’ll run for a greater purpose.”
For years, Kipchoge dominated the marathon world: multiple World Marathon Majors wins, Olympic golds, and the landmark sub-2-hour barrier in a special event. Ahead of New York, he made it clear that his legacy would only be “complete” when he finally tackled the big New York course.
At New York, he became the first to complete all the Abbott World Marathon Majors (including the newly-added Sydney race) and earn the “seven-star” acknowledgement of sorts.
Here’s Kipchoge’s next phase:
Eliud’s Running World / “World Tour” Project
Following the New York race, he launched a project that will see him run marathons (or major runs) across all seven continents. The aim is not purely competitive: it’s about inspiration, global community, causes.
As he put it:
> “Seven marathons on all seven continents, together with you!”
Through his foundation, the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation, the global tour is tied to promoting education, environmental sustainability and giving back. Each stop on the tour would be paired with a local initiative and while Kipchoge is stepping away from the “title & record chase” mode, he is not hanging up his shoes completely. He has stated he will continue to run, though with a shift in focus.
His statement “No human is limited” has been a guiding credo for his career. The next phase shows how he intends to bring that message to communities worldwide, not just elite athletes.