Jacob Kiplimo’s marathon debut has generated significant excitement ahead of Sunday’s London Marathon, with race director Hugh Brasher expressing confidence that the Ugandan could one day become the first man to officially break the two-hour marathon barrier.
“I think it’s going to be the most fascinating debut ever,” Brasher told Guardian Sport.
“Is it feasible that he could take Kelvin Kiptum’s record as the fastest debutant? Without a doubt. Do I think he could one day be the athlete that runs under two hours? Yes. But let’s see what happens on Sunday.”
Kiplimo, who shattered the half marathon world record earlier this year in Barcelona with a time of 56 minutes 42 seconds, has approached the speculation cautiously.
When asked if he believes he can one day break two hours for the marathon, he said: “Yes, of course. Maybe in the future. But I’m just focusing on my debut. If this one goes well, then maybe I will be the guy to make it.”
Addressing questions around trust in the sport and his management team, Kiplimo strongly defended himself and his training approach.
Speaking about his agents, Rosa and Associati, he stated: “Rosa is a good company. We always use supplements that are recognised. For me, I can’t say nothing about doping, but I train myself. And I believe in my training. They give us a lot of advice. They tell us, in case of anything, you have to write everything down that you are taking. Some athletes want shortcuts. But for us we keep following the programme.”
When directly asked if people could trust him and believe in his performances, Kiplimo replied: “Yes, of course.” He repeated the assurance when pressed further, responding emphatically: “Yes, of course.”
Kiplimo also expressed excitement about competing alongside Eliud Kipchoge, who he helped pace during the historic sub-two-hour marathon attempt in Vienna in 2019.
“I remember 2019, when I was pacing Kipchoge,” he said. “So for me it is a little bit amazing to compete with one of the greatest runners in history.”
With expectations high, Kiplimo’s marathon debut is being closely watched as he steps into a field stacked with elite talent, and hopes to make history of his own.
