Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, how his neighbour inspired him to start running

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I started running because my neighbour, Patrick Sang (the 1992 Olympic and 1991 and 1993 world steeplechase silver medallist), was an athlete and I wanted to be just like him. Patrick came from the same village as I do and my mother used to be his teacher. I was so inspired by his success.
“While preparing for the Kenyan Championships, I wrote a letter to Patrick asking if he could write a training programme for me. He did so without knowing me that well and that is when my running journey really started.
“Today Patrick is still my coach – although nowadays he is far more than an athletics coach. He is also a life coach and a business coach and that’s what sets him apart from other coaches.
“One of my first races came over 10km in 2002. I won that race and it felt great. I would say that is when I first fell in love with running. Now when I miss a day’s running, it makes me feel bad. It’s like when I was younger and I missed a day at school.
“To me, running is life. I run to live longer and enjoy a healthier life. I always say: a run in the morning is like eating a fruit a day – it chases he doctor away. It is good for your mind.
“Running has given me so much. It has allowed me to travel the world and enjoy a good lifestyle in general. I am always happy training, racing and above all, of course, when I win. That is the most enjoyable part to running. It gives me energy and motivation to target the next victory.
“People ask me why I run. It is for life and to inspire the younger generation to love sport and live a happy and full life. I can’t imagine a life without running.”

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