Eliud Kipchoge explains why he did not finish Olympic marathon and reveals future plan

Eliud Kipchoge has explained a back injury forced him to drop out of the Olympic marathon at Paris 2024.

The Kenyan managed to cover 31km before stepping off the course after experiencing further discomfort in his waist.

Ethiopian runner Tamirat Tola won gold and set a new Olympic record with a time of 2:06:26, with Great Britain’s Emile Cairess impressing but narrowly missing out on a medal after finishing just over a minute behind the champion in fourth.

Kipchoge, the two-time defending champion, now 39 years of age, leaves an uncertain future in the sport after failing to complete the distance.

“The other runners were telling me to push on but I was telling them, ‘No, I have pain, I can’t’. I could feel the love and respect from them,” Kipchoge said, after appearing in the mixed zone wearing only his shorts.

“I walked for 2km and had more than 300 people on either side of me walking with me. That’s why I don’t have my shirt, the socks, the shoes, the race number.”

Kipchoge admitted to not feeling his best from the beginning of his race, but nonetheless put on a valiant performance by aiming to cross the finish line.

“Today was a tough day at the office. You can train for a very long time but one day, it can happen,” he added.

“It’s like boxing. You can go to a training camp for five months and be knocked out in two seconds. But life will continue.

“This is my worst marathon. I have never done a DNF [did not finish]. That’s life. Like a boxer, I have been knocked down, I have won, I have come second, eighth, 10th, fifth – now I did not finish. That’s life.”

Regarding his future, Kipchoge has left the door open for a potential return, but looks to take some time away from his training over the next few months.

“I don’t want to comment on what will happen tomorrow. I want to try to evolve – if I don’t evolve, then I do other things,” he continued.

“I don’t know what my future will hold. I will think about it over the next three months. I still want to try to run some marathons.”