- Eliud Kipchoge will run the London Marathon for the first time since 2020
- Alex Yee will race for the first time in the event and Kipchoge wants to help him
Eliud Kipchoge will return to running the London Marathon in April after a five-year absence and has offered to mentor Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee on his race debut.
The legendary Kenyan, 40, is a four-time winner of the event and this could be his last appearance on the streets of the capital before retiring.
Meanwhile, Yee will be on the start line for the first time after deciding to try a marathon following her triathlon gold medal at last summer's Olympics.
The 26-year-old Briton admitted last year that his dream was to one day pick Kipchoge's brain, and the greatest marathon runner of all time has now said he is happy to help.
“I would like to meet him before the race and share the life we lead,” Kipchoge said when asked about Yee. 'I would love to know him more.
'I will give my time when I am in London to sit with him and share a meal, have a coffee. My advice is to train very well and enjoy the distance. I will share with him what I believe about running. I'm looking forward to it.'
Eliud Kipchoge (pictured) has set out to mentor Alex Yee for the London Marathon.
British triathlete Yee (pictured) will run the London Marathon for the first time in April.
Yee won Olympic gold in the men's triathlon at last year's Games after a spectacular final sprint.
Kipchoge won the London Marathon in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. He also won Olympic gold at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 marathons and is the only man to have timed a marathon under two hours.
However, in his final race at the Paris Olympics, Kipchoge failed to finish for the first time in his career and quit after 19 miles citing waist discomfort.
“Sport is full of challenges and what happened in Paris is one of the challenges of sport,” he said. 'I stumbled upon the challenge.
'I learned that running is not straight all the time, sometimes you can hit a bump. If you hit a pothole, you can sometimes get a puncture. That's what happened.
'It was demoralizing but above all it was sport. You need to wake up, start over and move forward every day.
'The job now is to train every day for the next four months waiting for the day in London.
'I am very excited for this opportunity, to return after five years. I'm really excited to be running through the streets of London again. My number one memory is the fans. They are everywhere from the first kilometer to the last kilometer. They are the people who push me.
'It is the city of sports. That's what makes London so special. London for the sixth time is what makes me come back. The inspiration to give to all people is what keeps me coming back.'
Kipchoge also believes he can still challenge for victory in a field that includes last year's London Marathon winner Alex Mutiso and Olympic champion Tamirat Tola.
Kipchoge was unable to finish the Olympic marathon last year, but still feels he can compete at the highest level.
(item name = module id = 124549765 style = undefined /)
“I still think I can compete,” he said. “I'm training well and I can compete with the younger ones.”
Kipchoge declined to confirm whether this would be his last London Marathon or potentially his last race.
“I'll talk more when the marathon is over,” he added. 'I am now focusing on training, purely on fitness and on my muscles to be ready for the start line in London.
'I always think I should follow a route first. In Africa we say we are chasing one rabbit at a time. This rabbit in front of me is the London Marathon.
'That's purely all my mind, my heart and my energy. After that I will make a new announcement. Keep looking.'