Eliud Kipchoge has won the Melbourne Marathon in a course record, ending a three-year wait for a marathon victory.
The 41-year-old Kenyan crossed the line at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday 11 October in 2 hours, 9 minutes and 10 seconds. That was two seconds faster than the previous race record.
It was his first marathon win since Berlin in 2023.
Kipchoge pulled away from the field in the final 10 kilometres. The course, redesigned this year, took runners partly along the Albert Park Formula One circuit before finishing inside the MCG.
Australian Thomas Do Canto finished second in 2:10:35, 85 seconds behind. Fellow Australian Reece Edwards was third.
Al Jazeera reported that Kipchoge slowed near the finish to wave to the crowd, suggesting the record could have been lower.
“On the course, it was really wonderful; I enjoyed seeing people standing, cheering, and shouting my name,” he said after the race, as reported by Al Jazeera.
He also addressed his age. “I believe that my body is still peaking – still able to compete with the next generation,” he said. “The oldest athlete is still competing, but I am happy to run with the Gen Zs.”
Melbourne was the third stop on Kipchoge’s plan to run marathons on all seven continents, after South Africa and Brazil. Organisers chose the Melbourne Marathon Festival as the tour’s official Oceania stop.
It was not his first Australian race. Kipchoge also ran the Sydney Marathon in 2025.
In the women’s race, New Zealand’s Camille French won in 2:28:25. Australia’s Sinead Diver was second.
Kipchoge is a two-time Olympic marathon champion and a former world record holder. Kenyan President William Ruto congratulated him after the race.
For Kenyans in Melbourne and across Australia, the result gave the community a moment of pride on home soil. It also showed that one of the sport’s greatest athletes is still racing in his 40s.