London Marathon 2020

＜"Nothing Lasts Forever＞

"Nothing Lasts Forever." So the title of one of Sidney Sheldon's best-selling books goes. Neither of a man's dominance over the sport of marathon. In the London Marathon 2020, Shura Kitata of Ethiopia won in a sprint finish in the final straight, ending world best time holder Eliud Kipchoge's winning streak of 4 at one of the most prestigious long-distance running events of the world.

Kitata, who had finished 2nd two years before, effectively controlled the race after injecting the pace about 1:48:30 into the race, and outsprinted in the final straight fellow Ethiopian Sisey Lemma and Kenyan rival Vincent Kipchumba. Eliud Kipchoge crossed the finished line, 6th, at 2:06 something, the slowest time since 2013.

Will this be the end of the long-distance world's legend's reign over the 42.2 kｍ distance, and the beginning of a new ear with many emerging younger athletes both from Ethiopia and Kenya? It's too early yet to judge. For now I'm eager to listen to Eliud's story of what was going on in today's race? Is it because his training didn't go well because of the corona pandemic? But that seems like an lame excuse, because the condition is more or less the same for all the other contender? Is it because he had already reached that inevitable peak of performance around the time of the Ineos 1:59 Challenge, and from that point on, his fitness slowly but surely started to fall down? Maybe. Or is it because he was so busy with so many promotional events after the Ineos Challenge, and wasn't able to focus much on his training? I think it's highly likely. I also think his loss is due to a combination of everything that I have mentioned so far.

My biggest concern is two:

1) Will he be chosen to run in Tokyo at the next Olympics?

2) Wil he be able to motivate himself again to win a big title?

Though he lost today, he remains my hero, and a long-distance world's legend also. For now, I hope he will take a good rest to recoup, and make a fresh start for whatever new goal he will set for himself.

Good job, everyone who ran! And I would like to express my heart-felt gratitude and respect to everyone who was involved in making the event take place in the time of many social challenges and limitations.