Eliud Kipchoge

"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."

"I felt a lot of pressure yesterday (11 October 2019). I received a lot of calls of encouragement from all over the world. The president of Kenya called me. When you receive so many calls from high-profile people, there is pressure."

"I have tried, I am the first man to run (full marathon) under two hours to inspire many people, to tell people no human is limited."

"It has taken 65 years (after Roger Bannister) for a human being to make history in sport. I am the happiest man to run under two hours. I am here to inspire everyone that it can be done."

"It means a lot to Kenya, running under two hours, together we can make a beautiful world."

"The law of nature cannot allow all human beings to think together. In breaking the two-hour barrier, I want to open minds to think that no human is limited. All our minds, all our thoughts are parallel. But I respect everybody's thoughts."

"100 percent of me is nothing compared to one percent of the whole team."

"I was feeling good. And I think it’s just it’s a challenge. So let us discuss it as a challenge and move on...You know, there is three things: Yesterday is a canceled check. Today is cash. And tomorrow is a promissory note. Let us forget about the canceled checks, let us talk of the cash and the promissory notes."

"I tried to do what was necessary but it wasn’t working. So I put my mind just trying to cope with the pace and just to finish...A lot of thought was going on in my mind but I said, ‘Hey, I can’t quit.’ I’ve been in this sport for a long (time). They say it’s important to win, but it’s great to participate and finish."

"Marathon actually is life. Sport is life. Resilience is one of the recipes for success. If you are not resilient then you cannot go anywhere. So it’s good to be resilient. ... That’s what’s required."

"Today was a tough day for me. I pushed myself as hard as I could but sometimes, we must accept that today wasn’t the day to push the barrier to a greater height."

"As you know, I need to compete in the highest level before I leave the sport. But I want to leave a footprint, the right values, the right spirit, and the right movement."

"He’s very disciplined, hard-working and focused...So many people are looking at him because he has shown us the way to go. You can be like Eliud if you work hard."

"You can’t be like Eliud if you want to sit down and you say, ‘I want to be like Eliud Kipchoge’. Eliud Kipchoge does not sit down and wait to go and win races!"

"Sometimes I watch the video of Eliud Kipchoge, he can train when it’s raining. So sometimes it’s raining and I don’t want to go for training and I say, ‘If Eliud Kipchoge can go for training, we train!’ Who am I to sleep?’...So he inspires so many young athletes, and also us because it seems age does not matter in whatever you are doing."