Kenya's marathon icon Eliud Kipchoge says he will dust himself off and keep his head up despite a disappointing performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and he is also glad to see the rapid marathon growth in China.

Kipchoge, marathon gold medalist in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, was eyeing his third consecutive Olympic title in Paris, but he finished on a disappointing note as he withdrew from the race after around 30 km due to the effects of a back injury.

The Kenyan admitted the withdrawal was a blow to him but said he also learned from the experience.

"It's really like a setback, but you know, I treat it as a challenge because sport is always challenging. The idea is to accept what has happened, move on. Sport actually is living, a life being lived every day," Kipchoge said during his ongoing China tour.

The Kenyan icon drew a parallel between running a marathon and driving a car. "It's not only about holding the steering wheel, but also about using the side mirrors, stepping on gas and brakes. If the car breaks down, you have to take to the mechanic work again and come back to try. I think next year I'll run a very good competitive race to bounce back from the loss in the Olympics."

Kipchoge set his personal best of two hours, one minute and nine seconds at the 2022 Berlin Marathon. He is also the first person to have ever completed the marathon distance in under two hours, achieving the feat in a controlled environment with pacers in 2019 - setting a record not officially recognized but celebrated worldwide.

"Through breaking the two-hour barrier, I realize that no human is limited at all. Everybody can do whatever you set as a goal. And you know, I've achieved that. I've tried to remove the thinking from the minds of many people and make them know that there is nothing impossible in this one."

Kipchoge, who just celebrated his 40-year-old birthday in early November, has taken notice of the marathon development in China, as the country has witnessed a significant number of marathon races, but more importantly, a change of lifestyle. The Kenyan is delighted to see these changes and want to have a hand in this process.

"I am really happy and grateful that I can be back in China. And you know last year I said I wanted to help China become a running nation, now I think it's actually moving in the right direction."

"And we do want to bring more people to run marathons, not for competition actually, but to run and get that accomplishment, and gain confidence to solve any problem in this world."

Kipchoge disclosed that he will invite some Chinese athletes to Kenya to train with him for improvements.

"I think after three months they'll run faster, and it's good to have a long partnership. We are starting next year to collaborate with the Chinese athletes to exchange the knowledge and the training experience. I believe the Chinese athletes will get more knowledge and more motivation after this," he said. 

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