Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge has clarified speculation about his future, confirming he will step back from elite World Marathon Major competition after his debut in the New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 2, 2025, but insisting he is not retiring from running. Instead, the two-time Olympic champion and former world record holder is embarking on a new chapter focused on inspirational, extreme challenges and expanding the work of his Kenyan-based foundation.

In interviews conducted in late October 2025, the 40-year-old athlete stated his decision to leave the elite marathon circuit is firm. "A lot is in store which I will roll out after New York…it will be an interesting journey...to do other things," Kipchoge told Olympics.com on October 30, 2025. This new journey involves what he terms "extreme" running endeavors designed to inspire and rally support for global causes. Among the ambitious plans he revealed are running a marathon in Antarctica and participating in a 50-kilometer race in Saudi Arabia.

A Shift to Purpose-Driven Running

This transition marks a significant pivot for the man widely considered the greatest marathoner of all time. His focus is moving from breaking records to "running for other things—running for a purpose." A central pillar of this new era is the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation, which he established to support education and environmental conservation in Kenya. The foundation aims to build libraries, sponsor school fees for children, and promote reforestation efforts to preserve the natural environment that is crucial for training athletes. "My mission is to give all children in the world access to knowledge and education," Kipchoge has stated about his foundation's goals.

The talk of retirement intensified following a challenging period in Kipchoge's competitive career. In 2024, he finished 10th at the Tokyo Marathon and did not finish the Olympic marathon in Paris, citing pain. His 2025 season saw him place sixth at the London Marathon in April with a time of 2:05:25 and ninth at the Sydney Marathon in August, clocking 2:08:31. His last victory at a major marathon was at the 2023 Berlin Marathon.

One Final Major: New York City

Before he pivots fully, Kipchoge has one final competitive goal: the New York City Marathon. The race on Sunday is the only Abbott World Marathon Major he has yet to compete in. Completing it will earn him the prestigious 'Seven Star' medal, an honor for runners who finish all seven major marathons—Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, Sydney, and New York. Despite the shift in his long-term focus, Kipchoge affirmed his competitive drive for his New York debut, stating his intention to secure a podium finish. "It's not about just participating, it's about competition," he said.

For Kenya, Kipchoge's transition is a landmark moment. He has been a symbol of the nation's athletic dominance for over two decades, from his 5000m world championship win as a teenager in 2003 to breaking the two-hour marathon barrier in the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna on October 12, 2019. That unofficial feat cemented his philosophy that "No Human Is Limited," a mantra that continues to inspire globally. As he moves from being Kenya's premier athletic competitor to a global ambassador for sport, philanthropy, and human potential—a role recently recognized by his appointment as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador on October 9, 2024—his impact on the nation and the world is set to evolve, but not diminish.