Kenyan Marathon Runner Eluid Kipchoge Beats Siya Kolisi To BBC World’s Sports Star Of The Year Award 2019
Record breaking and astonishing marathon runner Eluid Kipchoge who became the first ever world marathoner to run the 42-km race in less than two hours was on Sunday, December 15 named the BBC’s Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year (SPOTY) 2019.
The Kenyan, 35, became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours in October when he completed 26.2 miles (42.2km) in one hour 59 minutes and 40 seconds in the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, Austria.
“It means that no human is limited; we need to actually remove out limitations in our minds be it in class, be it in our offices and life will continue.” said the marathon runner on the achievement of her super human feats.
“It has been a long dream for every human in this world (and) it has been a narrative that until 2067 (is) when a human being will run under two-hours. I proved them wrong by running the two hours barrier in Vienna,” added Kipchoge said referring to the October 12 event that got global attention.
Six months before his feat, Kipchoge won the London Marathon for a fourth time and has also won Olympic gold at Rio 2016 and further broke his own London Marathon record – set in 2016 – by 28 seconds.
The legendary marathon runner beat off stiff competition from fellow African, South Africa’s Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi, the Springboks’ first black captain who skippered South Africa to a 32-12 victory over England in the Rugby World Cup final and was highly praised for his leadership in Japan and helping to unify a nation despite a difficult social and political backdrop.
Other nominees in reckoning for the illustrious award were American gymnast Simone Biles, Australian cricketer Steve Smith, American golfer Tiger Woods and USA footballer Megan Rapinoe, who co-led her team to World Cup victory again this summer.
By Gerald Dandah
