Kipchoge out to complete seven-star journey in New York

The Big Apple remains the only new place to the former world record holder in his record-breaking 12-year tenure on the roads that has seen him struck 11 World Marathon Majors wins in Berlin, Tokyo, London, and Chicago.

Kipchoge, who maintains he has nothing to prove to anyone, says his focus is on giving his best performance in New York.

The widely regarded greatest marathoner of all time will be running his third major marathon in a single year for the first time in his career.

The legendary runner heads to New York fresh from the Sydney Marathon, where he clocked 2:08:31 for ninth place. That came just months after finishing sixth in London, making this his third marathon of 2025.

The five-time Berlin Marathon champion is optimistic about a strong finish as he takes on New York for the first time.

His only victory in the US came in 2014, when he won the Chicago Marathon in 2:04:11.

“My preparations are going well — no hiccups — and I’m really looking forward to being in New York,” said Kipchoge.

“I don’t want to pre-empt everything, but I’ll roll out my next season’s plan soon after the New York event . All I can say is I’ll still be running — to motivate and inspire people.” Kipchoge added

Kipchoge, who has six World Marathon Major victories, believes competing in New York will complete his marathon journey.

“I believe when I get my seventh star medal, I’ll be a real marathoner,” he added.

Widely regarded as the greatest marathoner of all time, Kipchoge has dominated on European roads, conquering Berlin and London with trademark composure and class.

He has five Berlin titles; 2015 (2:04:00), 2017 (2:03:32), 2018 (2:01:39), 2022 (2:01:09), 2023 (2:02:42), and four London crowns; 2015 (2:04:42), 2016 (2:03:05), 2018 (2:04:17), 2019 (2:02:37).

A finish in New York will earn Kipchoge his seventh star medal in the Abbott World Marathon Majors series, cementing his legacy as one of the most complete marathon runners in history.

Away from the track, the 40-year-old, who also serves as male athletes’ representative at the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K), continues to urge fellow athletes to uphold integrity, discipline, and build strong personal brands.

“Kenyan athletes should embrace honesty, discipline, and real integrity,” he said.

“Be yourself. Create your brand so that you can feel proud as a sportsman or sportswoman.”

The New York City Marathon is one of the world’s most lucrative road races, with the winners in both men’s and women’s categories set to receive $100,000 each.

The prize money then scales down to $60,000 for second place and $40,000 for third, with bonuses for the top ten finishers.