Eliud Kipchoge Chases History: First Athlete to Complete Eight World Marathon Majors as Cape Town Races Tomorrow

On Sunday morning at 8:00 AM South African time, <cite index="22-7,22-8">Eliud Kipchoge will make his debut at the Cape Town Marathon, marking the start of his 'Eliud's World Tour' and his first official marathon in Africa</cite>. For diaspora Kenyans watching from around the globe, it's a chance to witness one of their greatest champions run on home soil — and potentially make history in a way no one has before.

The Eight-Star Dream

<cite index="24-27">Kipchoge finished his seven-star journey on November 2, 2025, crossing the finish line of the New York City Marathon in 2:14:36 — 17th place, third marathon of the calendar year</cite>. That achievement alone places him among the sport's most dedicated competitors. <cite index="24-21">As of the 2025 New York City Marathon, just 4,561 runners across 109 countries have completed all seven Abbott World Marathon Majors</cite>, with <cite index="24-22,24-23">the average Seven Star finisher being 54 years and 2 months old when they complete the journey, with an average finish time across all seven races of 4:08:37</cite>.

But Kipchoge, now 41, isn't satisfied with seven. <cite index="25-1,25-3,25-4">The race, which takes place on Sunday 24 May, has rapidly established itself as Africa's premier marathon, and is currently a candidate for Abbott World Marathon Majors status; Kipchoge is a double Olympic Marathon champion, two-time World Record-breaker and first man to run a sub-two-hour marathon, but this will be his first official marathon race on African soil</cite>.

<cite index="24-2">All finishers of the 2026 Cape Town Marathon will receive a provisional star — one that becomes fully official if the race passes its Stage 2 evaluation next May</cite>. <cite index="24-28,24-29,24-30,24-31">If Cape Town gains Major status, Kipchoge gets to stand at a finish line that nobody has ever stood at before: eight stars, first ever, on his home continent</cite>.

Why Africa Matters

The symbolism runs deeper than personal achievement. <cite index="24-7,24-8,24-9">Of the 4,561 people who hold Seven Star status, just 57 are from Africa — that's 1.3% of the total, from a continent of 1.4 billion people, a continent that produces the majority of the world's greatest elite marathon runners; Kenya and Ethiopia dominate podiums at every Major on the planet</cite>.

<cite index="23-16,23-17,23-18,23-19">Speaking on his arrival in Cape Town on Tuesday, Kipchoge said: "Africa is where my journey as a runner began and where the foundation of my success is deeply rooted; to start this World Tour in Cape Town is very special; it is about celebrating the strength of African running and inspiring the next generation; to race my first ever marathon on the African continent holds deep meaning for me"</cite>.

<cite index="25-6,25-7">At the airport, he told waiting media: "Above all, I want to run a beautiful race with all 27,000 people who have registered to participate in the marathon; it will be a beautiful day, it will be a historic day for all of us, to assemble as Africans and run together, go through the finishing line, and make Cape Town a World Major Marathon"</cite>.

The World Tour Ahead

<cite index="22-5,22-9">The World Tour will see Kipchoge running seven marathons across all the continents over the next three years, mainly to inspire people to lead healthier lives and unite people through running</cite>. Cape Town is stop one. <cite index="26-2,26-3,26-4">He is set to return to South America for his second marathon of the year on 12 July, 2026, the next stop in his world tour of races on all seven continents, with the world marathon legend announcing on Wednesday (March 11) that he will race in the Porto Alegre Marathon 2026, a return to the country where he won his first Olympic gold medal at the Rio 2016 Games</cite>. <cite index="21-5,21-6">He will add a piece of his rich athletics legacy to the 2026 Melbourne Marathon when he competes there on 11 October, making it the second marathon in Oceania for the long-distance running legend after finishing ninth at the 2025 Sydney Marathon</cite>.

<cite index="26-18">The tour will see him compete in Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, South America, and North America, before concluding the seven-stop, two-year challenge in Wolf's Fang in Antarctica</cite>.

<cite index="26-20">Apart from meeting and connecting with his fans, Kipchoge's main aim is to raise one million dollars for the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation to support education and environmental causes</cite>.

What to Expect Sunday

<cite index="28-6,28-7,28-8">Kipchoge will race the defending champion, Ethiopia's Abdisa Tola, who holds the title as champion after winning the 2024 race in 2:08:15 and sports a best time of 2:05:42, set at the 2023 Dubai Marathon</cite>. <cite index="25-17">A 2:08 finish is still well within 41-year-old Kipchoge's reach</cite>, though he has made clear this tour isn't about chasing times.

<cite index="26-13,26-14">At the height of his career, the marathon maestro ran no more than two marathons annually, demonstrating his commitment to quality training and recovery over medals, but the Kenyan star will aim to repeat his 2025 feat, when he ran in London, Sydney, and the New York City Marathon, this season with another three marathons</cite>.

<cite index="22-19,22-20,22-21">The official Cape Town Marathon YouTube channel will provide live and free coverage in English on Sunday, 24 May, with the marathon broadcast from 08:00 SAST, that's 02:00 Eastern, 22:00 Saturday Pacific, and 16:00 AEST; SuperSport will be the broadcaster for most of Africa, including Kenya, where the marathon will be aired at 09:00</cite>.

For the Kenyan diaspora from Sydney to Minneapolis, from London to Johannesburg, Sunday morning offers something rare: a chance to watch the greatest marathoner of all time run not for records or medals, but for something bigger — to prove that the continent that built him still belongs at the center of the sport he revolutionized.

Reporting drawn from Olympics.com, Cape Town Marathon Official, Olympics.com, Olympics.com, Marathon Handbook, Cape Town Marathon Media.