“It's a huge pressure for me to win the race"-Eliud Kipchoge weighs in on returning to Sydney Marathon after sixth place finish in London

Eliud Kipchoge opened up about his goals as he geared up to compete in the Sydney Marathon on 31 August 2025. The Olympic gold medalist will be competing in his second race of 2025 after facing a tough loss in the London Marathon, where he placed sixth with a performance of 2:05:25.

After the London Marathon, the star marathoner returned to practice with the aim of competing in the Sydney Marathon alongside an incredible lineup of athletes that includes Birhanu Legese, Vincent Ngetich, and others. Eliud Kipchoge spoke about his goals as well as creating an impact while competing in Sydney.

The Kenyan athlete shared a message for the younger generation in an interview with Olympics.com and urged them to be determined and disciplined to achieve their goals. Kipchoge expressed that having the mindset of winning a marathon would put huge pressure on him; however, the pressure of creating an impact on the people of Australia by spreading the message about the joy of running, as well as inspiring them, would be far greater for him.

"What I am doing now is what I would advise the younger me: 'Just have more patience, more determination, and stay disciplined.' It's a huge pressure for me to win the race, but there’s more pressure for me to inspire more people to take up running. For me, there’s more pressure to show the people in Australia and beyond what's needed to enjoy running and showcase my longevity as far as marathon running is concerned," he said.

Kipchoge shared that even though the course was tough due to variations in uphills and downhills, he hoped to push through the course record and put forward his best performance.

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Eliud Kipchoge opens up about his learnings after losing the podium position at the London Marathon

Eliud Kipchoge at the 2025 TCS London Marathon - Source: Getty

Eliud Kipchoge opened up about losing the podium position in the London Marathon in an interview with Olympics.com. The Kenyan athlete shared that he learned the importance of patience and consistency.

Kipchoge expressed that being an athlete for over two decades helped him learn important aspects of the sport, and he continues to learn and develop an expertise as he competes in different events.

“What I learned from London is that consistency and patience still rule the day…I had to be patient enough, and my consistency helped. I tell young people that the more you stay in any profession, the more you gain knowledge, get more expertise, and I believe that's what I am showing. Marathon is like life," he said.

Moreover, he shared that a disciplined lifestyle helps him to develop self-belief and confidence to compete in major events against some of the best athletes in the world.