Eliud Kipchoge gets 7 million shillings sponsorship ahead of berlin marathon

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

2016 Olympics gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge has promised to break his own record at this year’s Berlin marathon scheduled for September 24th in Berlin, Germany.

Speaking in Kenya’s capital on Wednesday morning, the Nandi County native received a one year sponsorship deal worth seven million Kenya shillings from truck and bus manufacturer Isuzu East Africa, that will enable him prepare for his road races.

“I am very excited today because I have this sponsorship. Being a runner involves a lot when it comes to preparations. You have your coach, training facilities, medics and nutritionists; all these costs money. This sponsorship is also a mile stone especially to many upcoming talents because now they see a possibility of corporates investing in them,” said the road runner.

The brand ambassador partnership will see Kipchoge receive a brand new MY16 Isuzu Dmax double cab and another if he wins or breaks a marathon record in the course of this year.

“Eliud Kipchoge resonates well with or corporate and product brands. He has time and again shown strength, resilience and reliability through his performances. As he goes on with his training, this partnership shows that we care about Kenyan talent in general and we are looking forward to see him winning,” retorted chief financial officer Charles Kariuki.

The 2016 Olympic marathon gold medalist came to prominence in 2003 by winning the junior race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, setting a world junior record over 5000 meters on the track and then becoming world champion at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics. An Olympic 5000 m bronze for Kenya followed at the 2004 Athens Olympics and he took another bronze at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships.

A series of silver medals came, starting at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics before another runner-up placing at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He was fifth at the 2009 World Championships but again reached the podium at the 2010 Commonwealth Games; he was second behind Moses Kipsiro in the 5000 meters. He has won four medals at editions of the annual IAAF World Athletics Final and is a five-time 5000 m finalist at the World Championships.

His 3000 meters best of 7:27.66 ranks him as the 12th fastest at the distance ever and his 5000 m best of 12:46.53 makes him the fourth fastest ever in the event. He began to move towards road running in 2012 and set a half marathon best of 59:25 minutes—which is the third fastest debut half marathon in history.

Kipchoge then won the 2013 Hamburg Marathon with a very fast finishing time of 2:05:30 and improved on this, later that year at the Berlin Marathon running 2:04:05 in the fifth-fastest marathon in history at the time.

Now all eyes are on him to see if this record partnership deal will see him successfully defend the title he won in 2016 or even better break a world record and win himself a 5million Kenya shilling Isuzu pick-up.