Secrets of success from Eliud Kipchoge, the greatest marathon runner ever

Eliud Kipchoge is without doubt one of the greatest marathon runners ever. On the morning of 16th September 2018, He broke the world record by running the marathon in 2 hours 1 minute and 29 seconds. 

At 33 years of age, Eliud Kipchoge is known for his prowess on the track as well as his philosophy on success 

Write it down

Eliud Kipchoge is known to record all his training sessions in a journal.  He has 15 journals so far, one for each year he has been on the race track. 

He says that you can only remember what you write down. He does this not only in his athletic sessions but also by reading books on success and productivity. 

Discipline

Most success gurus have always emphasized on discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment

Eliud kipchoge takes this further by linking discipline to freedom.

“Only the disciplined ones are free in life. If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods. You are a slave to your passions.” – Eliud Kipchoge

Preparation

“To win is not important. To be successful is not even important. How to plan and prepare is crucial. When you plan very well and prepare very well, then success can come on the way. Then winning can come on your way.”
 

Positive Thinking

“Pleasure in what you are doing is what puts perfection in your work—that’s a quote by Aristotle.” – Eliud Kipchoge

“Passion is a choice. You need to choose to be great. It’s not a chance, it’s a choice.” – Eliud Kipchoge

“Mental fitness plays a big role during competition. If you don’t rule your mind, your mind will rule you. That’s the way I think about this sport.” – Eliud Kipchoge
 

“When you smile and you’re happy, you can trigger the mind to not feel your legs.” – Eliud Kipchoge

‘This is happiness. To run before the world is awake in the most beautiful environment here in Kenya’. ~ Eliud Kipchoge

Consistency 

Motivation + Discipline = Consistency – Eliud Kipchoge

“I’m confident to say that if you want to grow in a profession, consistency is the key…I’m strict about my work goals and training. When I miss one [workout session], it’s like missing a discussion with your classmates, where six people are discussing a subject. If I miss one training, then I will not sleep well.” – Eliud Kipchoge
 

Endurance and Change

“In the marathon, the first half is just a normal run. At 15 kilometers, 20 kilometers, everybody is still going to be there. Where the marathon starts is after 30 kilometers. That’s where you feel pain everywhere in your body. The muscles are really aching, and only the most prepared and well-organized athlete is going to do well after that. I’ll go with the pace, but after 30 kilometers, I’ll change to my own pace. And if you’re ready to follow me, then we can go together.”  – Eliud Kipchoge
 

 “Become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Accept change.” – Eliud Kipchoge

“Sometimes all it takes is a little adjustment to face the obstacles in life” – Eliud Kipchoge

“When I have a lot of pain, I try to confuse my mind to forget about the pain and think about the distance. I don’t want pain to be in my mind, because I’d really lose focus on running. After winning, you won’t have that pain, but it comes later. The marathon is hard; the second day, you don’t go up or down stairs.” – Eliud Kipchoge
 

“Nothing is stronger than a peaceful mind.” – Eliud Kipchoge

Self Confidence

“I believe in what I am doing. To run a big marathon and win takes five months. When I’m on the starting line, my mind starts reviewing what I have been doing the last five months. I believe in my training, and I treat myself as the best one standing on that line.” – Eliud Kipchoge
 

I don’t know where the limits are, but I would like to go there. ~ Eliud Kipchoge

Work

“I always tell people that this is a really simple deal: Work hard,” he said. “If you work hard, follow what’s required and set your priorities right, then you can really perform without taking shortcuts. If you’re taking shortcuts, you can’t be free.” – Eliud Kipchoge
 

On Team Work

Eliud Kipchoge believes that to win on the track and in life, you need to be part of a team and be a tem player 

These roads are best ran together – Eliud Kipchoge

 

“You cannot train alone and expect to run a fast time. There is a formula: 100% of me is nothing compared to 1% of the whole team. And that’s teamwork. That’s what I value.” – Eliud Kipchoge

The quotes have been compiled from several sources. These include an interview by the New York times and Eliud’s Kipchoge Speech at the Oxford Union. You can watch the Oxford Union address below:

“To run alone is not sport, to run with others is sport.”  ~ Eliud Kipchoge

Oxford Union

UPDATE: 29th April 2019

London Marathon

Eliud Kipchoge just won the London marathon, breaking the London marathon record he had set before. 

London marathon shared an inspiring video on Eliud Kipchoge, giving an insight into his training and mindset on success. You can watch it below:-

Update: 12th October 2019

Eliud Kipchoge just became the first man to run the 42 kilometres marathon in under 2 hours. 

In an event held in Vienna, Austria, Eliud ran the marathon in one hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds (1:59:40). The event, dubbed INEOS159CHALLENGE was broadcasted all over the world and was sponsored by Jim Radcliffe’s INEOS, a leading manufacturer of petrochemicals. The slogan for the event was “NO HUMAN IS LIMITED”, a quote attributed to Eliud Kipchoge. 

This was Eliud’s second attempt at breaking the 2-hour barrier.  The first attempt, dubbed BREAKING2 was sponsored by NIKE and was held at the Monza racetrack in Italy. During the breaking2 event, Kipchoge completed the 42-kilometre marathon in 2 hours and 25 seconds (2:0:25). 

Eliud Kipchoge’s achievements show us that with the right mental philosophy, discipline, persistence and hard work, we can achieve even what seems to be impossible.