It’s been virtually a month since Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum surprised the world along with his record-breaking two-hour and 35-second marathon to win the Chicago Marathon, however the brand new world document holder is already waiting for chase that sub-two barrier in 2024.

It was introduced on Friday that Kiptum’s subsequent race would be the Rotterdam Marathon, on April 14, 2024. 

Many thought Kiptum would select to return to London to await choice from Workforce Kenya for the Paris Olympic marathon in August, or perhaps purpose for the document of changing into the primary man to run sub-two in Berlin in September.

Why Rotterdam?

Though Rotterdam isn’t one of many Abbott World Marathon Majors, the course is thought to be flat and quick. The course document is held by Belgium marathoner Bashir Abdi (2:03:36), set in 2021 solely three months earlier than he gained bronze within the marathon on the Tokyo Olympic Video games. Kiptum will likely be desirous to decrease Abdi’s course document and to offer the two-hour barrier a shot.

There are a lot of explanation why Rotterdam is the proper match for Kiptum, as an alternative of returning to London to defend his 2023 title. Rotterdam is one week sooner than London, which might give him, ideally, 16 weeks to get well and prepare for the Olympic marathon, as an alternative of a tighter 15-week turnaround.

Kelvin Kiptum selection of Rotterdam Marathon is an attention-grabbing thriller. By no means would I’ve guessed.

I assumed London Marathon would have been his most suitable option.

Then Paris Olympic Video games or Berlin Marathon….

Rotterdam is on 14th April, London on twenty first. https://t.co/oOBAv8wotW

— Katami Michelle (@MichKatami) November 3, 2023

The Rotterdam course is flatter, with round 100m in elevation acquire, versus London’s 145m. Kiptum’s supervisor, Belgium’s Marc Corstjens, can also be in control of placing collectively the elite subject in Rotterdam, which this yr will appeal to high expertise chasing the lads’s Olympic qualification customary of two:08:10. And it simply occurs to be two and a half weeks earlier than the Olympic qualification window closes.

A star within the making

Twelve months in the past, the operating world had no concept who Kiptum was. Then he made his jaw-dropping debut on the 2022 Valencia Marathon, with a lightning-fast time of two:01:53–the third-fastest marathon in historical past and the quickest debut of all time.

He continued his profitable streak in April on the 2023 London Marathon, decreasing his private finest to 2:01:25 and breaking Eliud Kipchoge’s course document by greater than a minute.

It was in Chicago the place Kiptum etched his identify within the historical past books, clocking 2:00:35 to interrupt Kipchoge’s world marathon document of two:01:09, in solely his third try on the distance.

Kipchoge has been the one man to run underneath the two-hour barrier, however he did so underneath best circumstances, with quite a few pacers, in a non-sanctioned race. Rotterdam will current a chance for Kiptum to interrupt a barrier that, till lately, the athletics world thought was unbreachable.