"The six stars is still the dream. We’re still seeing what will happen but it’s still a dream."

It’s been two months since Eliud Kipchoge walked off Boylston Street following a sixth-place finish at the Boston Marathon. It was a bit of a shocker for him. He, entered the weekend with 15 wins in 17 marathons and looking to check off Boston from his list of the World Marathon Majors that he has yet to win. The ideal plan would have been win Boston, win New York and then focus on becoming the first man to win three Olympic gold medals in the marathon. Not everyone gets the storybook ending. The Boston victory will have to wait. Plans for the fall have yet to be announced but are expected soon.

I was invited to Kenya by the NN Running Team to get a first-hand look at how Kipchoge lives and trains in his camp in Kaptagat. I witnessed a morning workout on the track, a 40K long run, a strength session and also got to join in on an easy run. It was easy for him – not so much for me. I stayed on the heels of the greatest marathoner in the world for two miles before he took off. It was a surreal experience and I’ve been comparing it to being invited by Michael Jordan for a pickup game of basketball on his home court. 

Eventually, the altitude (7800 feet above sea level), the jet lag and maybe a little lack of fitness compared to all of these pro runners led to me getting dropped. I did manage to complete the whole 10K run and while I was solo for the final two miles, I took a moment to appreciate how my career landed me in such a unique and blessed opportunity to be in Kenya among some of the best marathoners in the world.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to catch up one-on-one with Kipchoge for a brief interview. You can catch his previous appearance on the podcast here: https://apple.co/3CNguVd

In this short chat, you’ll hear a bit more about what happened in Boston, what happens next, Faith Kipyegon’s recent success and of course – our shared love for Kelly Clarkson, who just released a new album. I made sure to let him know while I was at the camp.

Host: Chris Chavez | @Chris_J_Chavez on Instagram

Guest: Eliud Kipchoge | @KipchogeEliud on Instagram

HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

💻 Visit CITIUSMAG.com | Our brand-new website hosts tons more podcasts, articles, videos and more. Track and field storytelling all in one place.

🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG

🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel