Kipchoge wins Melbourne Marathon in course-record 2:09:10 at 41

Eliud Kipchoge won the Melbourne Marathon in 2:09:10 at the age of 41, setting a course record and ending a wait for victory that stretched back to the 2023 Berlin Marathon. According to BBC Sport, the result was the Kenyan's 17th career marathon win, adding another success to a record that includes two Olympic titles over the distance.

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Australian Thomas do Canto finished second in 2:10:35, putting him one minute and 25 seconds behind Kipchoge. Fellow Australian Reece Edwards completed the men's podium in third place. In the women's event, New Zealand's Camille French took victory in 2:28:25, with Australia's Sinead Diver second and Ireland's Nichola Sheridan third.

The route took runners along part of the Australian Formula One circuit at Albert Park before ending inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground. BBC Sport reported that Kipchoge eased his pace inside the stadium to acknowledge spectators. He described enjoying the support along the route and singled out the unusual combination of a motor-racing circuit and a cricket-ground finish as features of the experience.

Kipchoge also said he believed he remained physically capable of competing with younger runners. His comments after the win emphasised both that competitive ambition and the opportunity to encourage Melbourne's running community. At 41, he presented racing alongside the next generation as a source of pride, rather than treating the event solely as another stop on his travels.

Melbourne was the third leg of Kipchoge's planned seven-continent marathon tour. He hopes to complete the project over two years, with Antarctica among the destinations. Each race is intended to raise money for the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation, whose work covers education, environmental sustainability and health. The Melbourne result therefore combined a return to winning with the next stage of that fundraising undertaking.

His wider record includes Olympic silver and bronze medals over 5,000 metres, a world title, 12 World Marathon Major victories and two official world records. In Vienna in 2019, he also ran 1:59:40 to become the first person to complete a marathon in under two hours. That performance came under special conditions and was unofficial, distinct from the official records on his career resume.