For a man who made winning marathons look routine, three years without a victory was unfamiliar territory. On Sunday October 11th, Eliud Kipchoge returned to the top of the podium in Melbourne, adding another race record to a career already full of them.
The 41 year old Kenyan won the Melbourne Marathon in 2:09:10, claiming his 17th marathon victory and his first since 2023. The double Olympic champion’s latest success came with a reminder that there is still competitive ambition behind one of running’s most recognisable smiles.
Kipchoge made his decisive move inside the final 10km before finishing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where he acknowledged the crowd as he approached the line. His winning time took two seconds off the previous event record of 2:09:12, set by Timothy Kiplagat Ronoh in 2022.
Australia’s Thomas Do Canto finished 2nd in 2:10:35, leaving him 85 seconds behind the winner, while fellow Australian Reece Edwards completed the men’s podium in 2:15:57.
For Kipchoge, the significance extended beyond the finishing time. When a runner has spent so much of his career being measured against world records, it becomes easy to overlook the simple satisfaction of winning a race again. Melbourne offered precisely that, along with a reception that reflected his standing well beyond the elite end of the sport.
His appearance formed part of Eliud’s Running World, a project built around running seven marathons across seven continents. Organisers had announced Melbourne as the third stop, with the wider aim of bringing communities together through running. Sharing a course with Kipchoge gave the thousands taking part a rather unusual addition to their own marathon story.
The setting carried its own history. The MCG hosted the start and finish of the 1956 Olympic marathon, making Kipchoge’s arrival there 70 years later a fitting occasion for a runner with two Olympic marathon titles. After finishing, he spent time greeting supporters beside the stadium boundary.
There was also a strong Irish result in the women’s race. Camille French of New Zealand won in 2:28:25, with Australia’s Sinead Diver taking 2nd in 2:28:49. Nichola Sheridan of Bohermeen AC completed the podium in 2:29:13, finishing just 48 seconds behind French and giving Irish supporters another reason to take notice of the morning’s results.
Kipchoge will take the main headlines, and understandably so. A career of extraordinary achievements now has a Melbourne victory attached to it. At 41, he is still giving spectators good reason to get up early.
