Eliud Kipchoge won the Melbourne Marathon on Sunday in a race record. He finished at the MCG in 2 hours 9 minutes 10 seconds, which the ABC reported was 2 seconds inside the previous race best.
Kipchoge is 41 and a two-time Olympic champion. According to BBC Sport, it was his first marathon win since the Berlin Marathon in 2023, and his 17th career win over the distance.
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How the Race Unfolded
This year’s race was run on a new course, the Guardian reported. The ABC said the route went down St Kilda Road, past Flinders Street Station and around Albert Park Lake before finishing at the MCG. Part of it was on the Formula One track at Albert Park, according to BBC Sport.
The Guardian reported that former pro cyclist Jimmy Whelan ran with him until about 30km.
The ABC said Kipchoge broke away inside the last 10 kilometres.
As quoted by the Guardian, he said: “I [increased] the pace after 30km, to see whether I can run well and beat the [race record]. My plan went well.”
A Lap of the MCG
He finished with a half-lap inside the MCG and slowed on it to wave to fans, the ABC reported. After the race he spent several minutes with fans along the boundary, according to the ABC.
The ABC noted that the MCG also hosted the start and finish of the marathon at the 1956 Olympics, 70 years ago.
“So I come here to celebrate the 70 years and tell the people of Melbourne, ‘Let us run together here at the MCG’ so it was a beautiful time for me, happy to enter this stadium,” Kipchoge said after the race, as quoted by the ABC.
“On the course, it was really wonderful, I enjoyed seeing people standing, cheering, and shouting my name,” he said, as quoted by BBC Sport.
Still Peaking at 41
BBC Sport quoted Kipchoge as saying “my body is still peaking”.
As quoted by BBC Sport, he also said: “The oldest athlete is still competing but I am happy to run with the Gen Zs.”
According to BBC Sport, his career includes two Olympic marathon golds, 12 World Marathon Major wins, two official world records and the unofficial sub-two-hour run in Vienna in 2019.
Behind Kipchoge
Australian Thomas Do Canto was second in 2:10:35, the ABC reported. Reece Edwards was third in 2:15:57.
In the women’s race, New Zealand’s Camille French won in 2:28:25, ahead of Australian Sinead Diver and Ireland’s Nichola Sheridan, according to the ABC.
The half-marathon titles went to Australian Seth O’Donnell and New Zealander Georgie Gregec, the Guardian reported.
The marathon rounded off a big sporting weekend in the city. On Saturday night, South Melbourne won the Australia Cup, the first NPL club to do so.
Next Stop on the World Tour
Melbourne was the third leg of Kipchoge’s world tour, BBC Sport reported. The plan is a marathon on all seven continents, Antarctica included, over two years, raising funds for the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation.
It was his second visit to Australia. The Guardian reported that he finished ninth at the 2025 Sydney Marathon.
As quoted by the Guardian, he said of the host city: “Melbourne is really, really a sporting city.”
Sources: BBC Sport, “Eliud Kipchoge, 41, breaks course record at Melbourne Marathon”, 11 October 2026 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/articles/cm4g102vr5q8o); ABC News, “Kenyan star Eliud Kipchoge wins the Melbourne Marathon in record time”, 11 October 2026 (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-11/running-legend-kipchoge-sets-race-record-at-melbourne-marathon/107252768); The Guardian, “‘My body is still peaking’: Eliud Kipchoge wins first marathon in three years”, 11 October 2026 (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/oct/11/eliud-kipchoge-sends-message-melbourne-marathon-win-record)
Photo by KeenanPJ, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons.
Albert Park Lake with the Melbourne skyline beyond, January 2017. The marathon route passed the lake, but this picture predates race day and is illustrative.
