By David Melly
October 29, 2025
Wait, hold on—Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele are both running New York? The Eliud Kipchoge and the Kenenisa Bekele??
While it’s looking fairly unlikely that either GOAT will really factor in for the win, it’s still notable that two of the best distance runners in history are going head to head once again. It’ll be the sixth time in their careers that Kipchoge and Bekele match up in the marathon, and the first since the Paris Olympics, where, frankly, neither did great (Bekele finished 39th and Kipchoge dropped out). Prior to that, Kipchoge had won their last four matchups, but across their long, illustrious careers, Bekele is up 16 to 7 across track, roads, and World XC.
Let’s be honest with ourselves: the Kipchoge of the last decade is not the same runner we see on the starting line now. And that’s okay! Kipchoge turns 41 in a week, and Bekele is 43 years young. More than anything else, it’s impressive that both these guys are still going: it’s exceedingly rare that athletes of their caliber even bother to keep up the grueling training and race schedule into their 40s, and as a result we’re getting inarguably the best masters’ matchup in marathoning history on Sunday.
That’s not to say that either runner is completely washed. Kipchoge has raced two marathons already this year, returning to the streets of London in April to run 2:05:25 and lending his celebrity to the first Sydney Marathon to count as a World Major. He’s never raced New York before, and when he crosses the finish line, he’ll become the most prolific runner in history to complete the six—now seven—marathon circuit. At one point, he’d expressed a desire to win them all, but unless he manages a truly miraculous return to Boston and Sydney, he’ll have to settle for finishing—potentially in the top ten of each one.
Bekele hasn’t raced since 2024, but last season he ran an incredible 2:04:15 for second place at the London Marathon, a truly mind-boggling masters’ world record. The fact that he was a late addition to the start list presumably means he’s trending the right direction versus the wrong one, health- and fitness-wise, but latter-period Bekele has been a bit of a dice roll. He’s seemingly as likely to podium as drop out at any point in the race.
Who perseveres in the Battle of the Uncs will make for an interesting subplot, but that’s somewhat beside the point. These are titans of the sport whose presence lends eyeballs and intrigue, and every additional start line they tack onto the ends of their careers is a gift to the fans. Sure, they’re being paid handsomely by race organizers to not retire, but there are way easier ways to make a couple bucks than going through a whole race buildup and two-hour grinder. Neither man is going to win, but neither is going to jog, and they deserve credit for that.
Marathons like Boston and New York enable a meeting-in-the-middle of casual runner and hardcore fan, and the best way to bridge that gap is to give the sign-holders and mimosa-drinkers lining the course a recognizable name or two to catch their eye. It’s a bit like Lionel Messi finishing out his soccer career in the MLS: sure, it’s more of a spectacle and a curiosity than a substantive chapter in a storied career, but it allows an enormous international star to bring eyeballs, sponsors, and energy to a sport that’s struggled to gain a foothold in the U.S.
If and when Kipchoge and Bekele ride off into the sunset, the sport will lose something irreplaceable. They really don’t make ‘em like that any more. Even big recent stars like Joshua Cheptegei or Yomif Kejelcha don’t have the cache or the clout that they do. Both Kipchoge and Bekele could’ve easily stuck to cushy ambassador-style appearances and/or living a life of luxury in their home countries, but instead they’re tapering down and lacing up for a high-stakes race on a tough course. We’re lucky they’re not tired of entertaining us just yet.
David Melly
David began contributing to CITIUS in 2018, and quickly cemented himself as an integral part of the team thanks to his quick wit, hot takes, undying love for the sport and willingness to get yelled at online.
