Kipchoge cut down to size
IN those shoes, with those lungs and that record, we just about assumed Eliud Kipchoge could walk on water. Nothing like a rainy day for disproving that theory and nowhere quite like the grounds of Buckingham Palace for dethroning kings.
Chances are the greatest runner the roads have ever seen will win again. But those are considerations for another day. For now it is a time to wonder how it went so very wrong in St James’s Park and why. That is because he didn’t just lose to Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata, the 2018 runner up and a worthy champion here in 2:05.41. He also lost to Vincent Kipchumba, Sisay Lemma, Mosinet Geremew, Mule Wasihun, Tamirat Tola and Benson Kipruto.
All seven of those east Africans ran away from a titan who had previously raced 12 marathons, won 11 and had not lost since he came second in Berlin in 2013. They didn’t merely beat him — they crushed him. When it was all done, with the Kenyan’s sad limp over the line in 2:06.49, he was a minute and eight seconds behind Kitata and 41 seconds outside the top five. From a position of being the biggest favourite in the 40 years of this race, he was suddenly the shivering victim of its most monumental shock.
He put brave words on it but the pain was written deep into the contours of his face. ‘I’m really disappointed but this is sport,’ the 35-year-old said. ‘It’s not suicide for Eliud Kipchoge to be beaten. It’s not going to a tree and hanging myself. This is sport and we need to embrace it.’ There is mitigation of sorts — he explained he had a hip problem in the second half of the race. His right ear also blocked around 10 miles from the finish.
But it is through such attrition that this devilish discipline collects its bodies. For so long, be it in breaking two hours in a timetrial, or setting his 2:01.39 world record, Kipchoge has achieved the mind-boggling feat of making marathons look easy. This one never did, though. The early sign came when Kipchoge passed halfway in a modest 62 minutes and 54 seconds, well off his usual pace in those controversial Nike Alphafly shoes and their lesser models. At that point it was dismissed as a consequence of foul weather but already there was a ripple of a thought that a slower race might offer a chance to the mortals in a leading cluster of nine men. If they ploughed on in expectation of him breaking then what a surprise to them and 600 others inside the race cordon that it did not happen. By mile 24, they sensed their chance. Kitata, Geremew, Kipchumba and Lemma led the breakaway and Kipchoge, the four-time champion, could not go with them. No response, no extra gear, and before long it was over. Remarkable. And maybe an end of an era if we are to take the foolish course of reading too much into one massive defeat. Full credit here to Kitata, the training partner of the great Kenenisa Bekele, who was supposed to be the main threat prior to his withdrawal on Friday with injury. A fine way to step out of a shadow. ‘I was sad that Kenenisa could not run but his advice helped me win,’ Kitata said.
Further back, Mo Farah served as pacemaker for 18 miles to help the British pair of Jonathan Mellor and Ben Connor inside the 2:11.30 Olympic qualifying standard. The women’s race was won comfortably by defending champion Brigid Kosgei, who crossed in 2:18.58.
Eight-time champion David Weir was second in the wheelchair race.