Marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge visited Beijing on Wednesday and trained with China's national running team, in a bid to pass on his knowledge of the sport.
Kipchoge won the Olympic marathon title in 2016 to go with his current world record time of two hours, one minute, 39 seconds. His record-breaking run at this year's Berlin Marathon smashed the previous best time by one minute and 18 seconds, the greatest improvement since 1967.
The 34-year-old trained together with 46 Chinese athletes and coaches and shared his experiences on training and competing.
He praised the Chinese training infrastructure and said he is hoping to see more Chinese athletes winning at the global stage.
Meanwhile, Wang Chunyu, Asian Games gold medalist in 800m, said, "I very much agree with what Kipchoge said. We should be confident in our ability to be champions when we are standing on the track."
Eliud Kipchoge (2nd R) takes part in interactive and fun activities with school kids during his visit to Beijing, China, November 14, 2018. /VCG Photo
The Kenyan long-distance runner registered his maiden individual world championship title in 2003 by winning the junior race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and scripting a world junior record over 5000m on the track. He went on to become the senior 5000m world champion at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics with a championships record at the age of 18. Subsequently, he bagged an Olympic bronze for Kenya in 2004 and a bronze at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
A five-time World Championship 5000m finalist, Kipchoge clinched silver medals at the 2007 World Championships, 2008 Summer Olympics and 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Kipchoge (C) takes questions on the stage while interacting with media people in Beijing, China, November 14, 2018. /VCG Photo
He shifted his focus to road running in 2012 and recorded the second-fastest ever half marathon debut with 59:25 minutes. On his marathon debut in 2013, he won the Hamburg Marathon in a course record time while his first victory at a World Marathon Major came at the Chicago Marathon in 2014.
Described as "the greatest marathoner of the modern era," Kipchoge has been a three-time winner at both the London Marathon and Berlin Marathon between 2015 and 2018. He has won 11 of the 12 marathons he has entered to date with his only loss being to Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich at the 2013 Berlin Marathon. Kipchoge finished second in that race as Kipsang shattered the then world record.