Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo has opened up on the relentless training routine behind his historic 2:00:28 run at the 2026 London Marathon.
Kiplimo, who already holds the world record in the half-marathon, delivered one of the fastest marathon times in history in London, clocking 2:00:28 in a race where the previous world record mark was shattered.
The 25-year-old’s performance came after months of punishing preparation, including 4 a.m. wake-up calls, 200-kilometre training weeks, and multiple 40-kilometre long runs in the hills of Kapchorwa.
According to Red Bull, Kiplimo covered 2,065 kilometres in the 12 weeks leading up to his victory at the Chicago Marathon last year, with “easy runs” ranging between 15km and 25km.
His training programme also included track sessions, long road runs and careful monitoring of recovery, with real-time analysis helping him adjust workloads over the three-month build-up.
A typical long-run day starts before dawn.
Kiplimo wakes up at 4:00 a.m. for a light breakfast before heading to his training location by 5:4 a.mm. After warming up, he begins his run at 7am, often covering between 30km and 40km.
Recovery then becomes the focus, with a substantial breakfast, physiotherapy or massage, lunch, an afternoon nap, and an early night by 10pm.
Most of his long-distance sessions are done in Kapchorwa on the slopes of Mount Elgon, where the high altitude and cool climate provide ideal conditions for endurance training.
Kiplimo said marathon preparation is far more demanding than shorter-distance events.
“There is a big difference because for a marathon you need to do a lot of long runs and run a lot of mileage, so the preparation is more difficult and demanding,” he said.
In preparation for Chicago, Kiplimo completed five 40km runs and three 35km runs during his 12-week training block, with even his recovery runs stretching as far as 20km.
Despite his growing success over the marathon distance, Kiplimo insists that hard work remains the biggest factor.
“There’s no difference between other runners and me. It’s only about hard work,” he said.
Kiplimo has already built an impressive career, winning four World Cross Country titles and Commonwealth Games gold medals in both the 5,000m and 10,000m.
Now, after his remarkable display in London, the Ugandan continues to establish himself as one of the most feared long-distance runners in the world.
