Eliud Kipchoge Wins Ksh7.4 Million Award From Spain

Kipchoge also received a Joan Miró sculpture representing and symbolising the Award, a diploma, and an insignia conferred by Princess Leonor of Asturias

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
May 18, 2023 - 13:45 Updated: Sep 2, 2023 - 22:40
0
Eliud Kipchoge Wins Ksh7.4 Million Award From Spain
Eliud Kipchoge after winning the Tokyo 2020 Olympics marathon. /RUNNERS WORLD

Kenyan marathon legend, Eliud Kipchoge, was on Thursday, May 18 named the winner of the Princess of Asturias Award for sports for 2023 from Spain.

Kipchoge was among the winners who walked away with a cash prize of Ksh7.42 million (50,000 euros), according to the foundation.

"In keeping with these principles, the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports is to be granted to careers which have become an example of the benefits that practising sports can bring to people, via their promotion, fostering and advancement of the sport and sense of solidarity and commitment," the foundation stated.

Kipchoge also received a Joan Miró sculpture representing and symbolising the Award, a diploma, and a symbol conferred by Princess Leonor of Asturias, born on October 31, 2005.

Eliud Kipchoge named the 2023 Princess of Asturias Award winner on May 18, 2023. /FPA

"It is an absolute honour to receive the Princess of Asturias Award. To be amongst a list of extraordinary laureates, all people from different walks of life.

"It motivates me in my goal to leave a legacy in this world through running since a running world is a more peaceful world, a happier world and a more healthy world," stated Kipchoge in part through his social media pages.

The marathoner thanked Her Royal Highness The Princess of Asturias, and her parents, Their Majesties The King and Queen of Spain, for granting him the honour.

The Princess of Asturias Foundation convenes the Princess of Asturias Awards, which are presented at an academic ceremony held each year in Oviedo, the capital of the Principality of Asturias.

The Foundation’s aims are to contribute to extolling and promoting those scientific, cultural and humanistic values that form part of the universal heritage of humanity and to consolidate the existing links between the Principality of Asturias and the title traditionally held by the heirs to the Crown of Spain.

The foundation nicknamed Kipchoge 'The Philosopher' for his strategic racing prowess and ability to focus, owing to his status as the current Olympic marathon champion.

"He also holds the world record for this event, set at last year’s Berlin Marathon. With a time of 2:01:09, he cut thirty seconds off the previous record, which he himself had set in this competition in 2018," added the foundation.

Born in Nandi County on November 5, 1984, Kipchoge completely dominates the marathon event at present and is considered a legend of world athletics, as well as the greatest marathon runner of all time.

In recent years, he has managed to win 15  of the 18 marathon races in which he has competed and has stood atop the highest podium 10 times in four of the so-called World Marathon Majors: Chicago (2014), London (2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019), Berlin (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022) and Tokyo (2022). He is a member of the NN Running Team from the Netherlands.

He is the only athlete in history to have run a marathon in under two hours, a feat he achieved in Vienna in 2019 during the INEOS race in Austria.

There, he completed the 42.195 kilometres of the race at 1:59:40, a record he is looking to break before retiring.

Princess Leonor of Asturias during a past public address. /FOOTBALL ESPANA

Tags: