Kipchoge wins Melbourne Marathon after three-year drought

Eliud Kipchoge won the Melbourne Marathon on October 11, ending a three-year wait for a marathon victory and setting a race record, according to most event reports. The 41-year-old Kenyan finished in 2:09:10, two seconds faster than the previous race best, after breaking away in the final 10 kilometres. The victory was Kipchoge’s first over the marathon distance since he won in Berlin in 2023. It was reported as the 17th marathon win of his career. Australian Thomas Do Canto finished second in 2:10:35. Reports differed on Kipchoge’s exact finishing time and the record designation. Four accounts gave his time as 2:09:10 and described it as a race or course record. Another reported 2:09:08, calling it a Melbourne Marathon race record while distinguishing that from a course record. The supplied accounts do not establish which time or record category was certified in the official results. Kipchoge’s Melbourne appearance was part of a plan he announced in 2025 to run a marathon on each of the seven continents over two years. Accounts described the race as a stop on that tour, which includes Antarctica.