On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, there is a folk ritual to worship the God of Wealth: people set off firecrackers and fireworks to welcome the God of Wealth. Receiving the God of Wealth symbolizes that he will bring gold and silver treasures into the home, ensuring prosperity for the family in the new year.Since there is a ritual to worship the God of Wealth on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year for prosperity, shouldn't marathon runners also worship the Marathon God?

When it comes to marathon running and the Marathon God, we have to mention the special name Eliud Kipchoge.In last year's Berlin Marathon, Kipchoge set a men's world record of 2 hours, 1 minute, and 39 seconds, and was named the Best Male Marathon Runner of the Year by the International Association of Marathons and Distance Races.

Today, let's get to know this number one marathon runner in the world and see what inspiration he brings to ordinary runners.

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Berlin Marathon makes history! Kipchoge becomes the first in history

At 5:16 PM Beijing time on September 16, 2018, a great moment in the marathon world occurred.Eliud Kipchoge ran a world record time of 2:01:39 at the Berlin Marathon, breaking Dennis Kimetto's previous world record of 2:02:57, bringing the human marathon speed under 2 hours and 2 minutes, improving the world record by 1 minute and 18 seconds.

He took 1 hour, 1 minute, and 8 seconds for the first half and 1 hour, 32 seconds for the second half, perfectly running a negative split.With this, Kipchoge also increased his marathon win rate to 10 wins out of 11 races.

42.195 kilometers, 2 hours, 1 minute, and 39 seconds, Kipchoge completed the Olympic, World Championship, and world record 'golden grand slam,' becoming the fastest marathon runner in the world today, not just one of the fastest! His feat of breaking human limits is enough to go down in history, showing people the possibility of humans approaching or even breaking the 2-hour barrier.

Kipchoge's ability to break the men's marathon world record at the age of 34 seems coincidental but is actually inevitable. From a sports training perspective, Kipchoge's athletic career is long enough, and his training trajectory is very smooth.

Starting as a 5000m and 10000m runner and then transitioning to a marathon runner, he has met all the training characteristics of marathon running and possesses all the qualities of a world-class marathon runner.

Kipchoge typically chooses only 1 or 2 important events per season, and so far, he has achieved nine consecutive major victories.

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Humanity has no limits! Kipchoge's sub-2-hour marathon is worth anticipating

Kipchoge, with this belief, constantly challenges himself and accumulates strength. Before attempting to break the '2-hour barrier' set by God for humans, he first refreshed the record at the 2018 Berlin Marathon. Everyone is convinced that he is the chosen one, destined to break the 2-hour barrier for humanity.

What does breaking the 2-hour marathon mean?

Currently, the men's 100m world record is 9.58 seconds, set by Usain Bolt at the 2009 Berlin World Championships. To break the 9.58-second 100m world record, a 0.1% improvement is needed.Kipchoge's men's marathon world record of 2:01:39 requires a 1.4% improvement to break the 2-hour mark, equivalent to running the 100m in about 9.45 seconds.

Bolt has retired and can no longer create miracles for us. But 34-year-old Kipchoge is still here, and where there is Kipchoge, miracles will be born.

Writing training diaries for 15 consecutive years, running with interest, going to bed at 9 PM every night—these 15 years of self-discipline, unwavering participation in two races a year, and a genuine love for running have made him the number one marathon runner in the world today.

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Kipchoge's 12-word motto is worth understanding for every runner

In terms of talent, Kipchoge may not be the best, but in terms of dedication to the marathon, he is definitely the world's number one.Kipchoge once said, 'The secret to maintaining such a good athletic state for a long time is patience, endurance, diligence, hope, faith, and self-discipline.'

Patience

Compared to other athletes, if we often watch his races, we will find that he performs very calmly and steadily in competitions. This not only comes from his strong ability but, more importantly, from the patience he has learned through continuous training and competitions.In all races, he often keeps smiling in the last ten kilometers, which not only shows his love for running but also demonstrates his extraordinary patience and composure when tired.

Endurance

Remember the 2015 Berlin Marathon? Kipchoge won that year's championship wearing shoes with the insoles flying out. Many people began to know Kipchoge at that time. Running 2:04:00 under such conditions is enough to prove Kipchoge's strength and endurance.Looking through his past marathon records, you will find that he is a true champion.

Diligence

Even now, Kipchoge still lives in a simple environment, completing his daily training. In the eyes of his coach, he is an athlete who combines diligence and talent.

For a successful athlete, he still lives a life similar to that of a poor person. He does not become arrogant because of his outstanding achievements and numerous honors, remaining humble and diligent in his previous environment.

For him, the reason for doing so is simple: in terms of marathon races, the reason he has remained undefeated since the 2013 Berlin Marathon is maintaining hunger and hardship, not allowing himself to become greedy. He knows that a tough environment is the basic requirement for excellence.

Self-discipline

Kipchoge was born in Kenya, and fate gave him a strong running talent. The harsh growing environment made him strict with himself from a young age.Kipchoge says he was born to run, and his actions live up to this title. Faith is his motivation; self-discipline is his winning weapon.

He often chooses a simple house with his training partners for daily living instead of living in a spacious and luxurious room with his wife and children.

Kipchoge's daily training starts before 5 AM, with a midday rest, and the second training session starts at 4 PM. After resting and washing up, they prepare dinner. After that, their training team plays some games, but they never go to bed later than 9 PM.

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Conclusion

Kipchoge's 12-word motto: patience, endurance, diligence, hope, faith, self-discipline, not only applies to marathons but also to anything we do. Maintaining a rigorous and humble attitude, continuously learning, and growing. Every runner should learn from his spirit.

Without strict self-discipline and a healthy lifestyle, there would be no perfect performance on the track. Living and training with self-discipline makes progress and surpassing oneself a natural outcome.

Kipchoge once said, 'For me, running is life. I run to live longer and enjoy a healthier life.' He said, 'Running in the morning is like eating fruit every day. Keep it up, and it will keep the doctor away. Running has given me a lot.'People ask me why I run. Running is life; it will inspire the younger generation to love sports and live a happy and joyful life.'

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