Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge to race the 2022 Berlin Marathon in September: "I want to see if I can still push the limit"

Eliud Kipchoge will race in the Berlin Marathon on Sunday 25 September.

The world record holder announced on Friday (8 July) that he will compete in the German capital for the fifth time.

“One of my favourite memories was made in this city. Let's make some new memories together!" Kipchoge posted on his official Twitter account.

" want to run a beautiful race, a good race," he said at a virtual media conference from his training base in Kaptagat.

"I don’t know how fast(I will run) but I hope to run a good race that can summarise the whole year and show the people that we need to push our human potential."

The Kenyan defended his Olympic marathon gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in August 2021, in a race that took place in Sapporo.

The athletics star then competed in his first World Marathon Major race in Asia at the 2022 Tokyo marathon on 6 March clocking the third-fastest marathon of his career.

Kipchoge wants to end the year with a fast race

Kipchoge will race Ethiopia's 2021 winner Guye Adola in Berlin, with the two having previously competed together in rainy conditions at the 2017 Berlin marathon with Kipchoge winning in 2:03.32.

At his first race in Berlin in 2013, which was only his second-ever42km race, the marathon star finished second behind compatriot Wilson Kipsang, who set the world record of 2:03.23.

"When I was going to Berlin for the first time, I didn’t know what would happen, because I was still learning how to handle the marathon ropes. But this fifth time I am a little bit experienced though I am still learning now and then," Kipchoge told the press on Friday, adding that he settled on Berlin as he wanted to end the year with a fast race.

"I treat Berlin as a fast course, where a human being can exercise his potential by pushing the limit. That’s why I thought to go back for the fifth time to see whether I can still exercise the chances of pushing the limit"

Adola, a world half marathon bronze medallist, had the fastest marathon debut ever which still stands as his personal best of 2:03.46.

Adola wants to go even faster this year.

"I am very happy to be back Berlin marathon to defend my title from last year. I always have a good feeling about the Berlin marathon because it was my debut marathon, and that time is still my personal best. This year I will try to run even faster and achieve a time under 2:03:00 hours."

After achieving Olympic glory at Rio 2016 and becoming the first man to complete a marathon in under two hours, Kipchoge set a target of competing and winning all six World Marathon Majors.

The four-time Olympic medallist has already won London a record four times, topped Berlin thrice including his 2:01:39 world record win in 2019, and was victorious in Chicago in 2014.

"Boston is still on my bucket list as far as the World Marathon Majors is concerned. I will try maybe next year," said Kipchoge.

In January, Kipchoge confirmed that he will compete at his third Olympics in Paris 2024.

The 37-year-old seeks to become the first man to win three Olympic gold medals in the marathon**.**

“I still have something boiling in my stomach that’s why I am looking forward to it. I still want to run I want to be the first human to run and (win) three consecutive Olympics," he said.

On his future plans after Paris Games he said, "I have set my mind on running the Olympics and other things will follow. The future will tell... I know some day I will have to step down."