Eliud Kipchoge makes quiet entry back home

Eliud Kipchoge is back in the country after his astonishing feat in Vienna, Austria, where he completed the marathon in under two hours.

Many Kenyans were eagerly waiting for a publicized return but it seems the athlete preferred to keep it low key.

According to reports, Kipchoge landed on Wednesday morning. This was confirmed by Kenya Airways, who through their official Twitter page, confirmed flying him from Amsterdam.

“Honoured to fly our CHAMPION @eliudkipchogehome from Amsterdam. The Pride is so proud of you!,” tweeted KQ.

One Kenyan asked the airline to confirm his touchdown and they did by saying: “He already landed, Justus. But you can give him a personalized welcome by making a date with him.”

Kipchoge made athletics history on Saturday when he became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours although his remarkable effort will not be recognised by the IAAF.

The Olympic marathon champion and world record holder completed a course around Vienna's Prater Park in one hour 59:40 minutes on a cool, misty and windless autumnal morning.

Guided by rotating seven-man teams of pacesetters, many of themselves renowned athletes, and an electric pace car that shone green lasers onto the track, Kipchoge averaged around 2.50 minutes per kilometre.

He reached the halfway mark in 59.35 seconds, 11 seconds inside the target, and ran remarkably consistently with his one-kilometre times fluctuating between 2.48 and 2.52 seconds.

For the last kilometre, the pacemakers and car peeled away and Kipchoge pointed to the crowd and smiled as he completed the run.

Kipchoge, who before the race compared the achievement to landing on the moon, said it was the biggest athletics milestone since Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile barrier in 1954.