In 2019, leading sports business media company SportsPro named him as the 31st most marketable athlete in the world, featuring on a VIP-only list of 50 that includes Kylian Mbappe, Naomi Osaka, Tyson Fury, Mohammed Salah, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Son Heung-Min.

It’s no surprise some of the world’s biggest companies and richest people are lining up to work with Kipchoge. In the last eight years, he has entered 17 marathons and won all but two. In addition to lucrative partnerships with global firms, Kipchoge also picks up big checks from big-city marathons around the world. However, it all pales in comparison to the unprecedented success of Eliud Kipchoge and the big bucks he now commands.

When it comes to Kenyan athletes leveraging talent and global stardom into deals worth millions of dollars, a few names such as 800M World Record holder David Rudisha and former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Victor Wanyama come to mind. Winning a second Olympic Gold also made the Kipchoge brand even more valuable than it already was. Kipchoge has adoring fans from across the globe and has become a darling of the international sports media – discussed in the same vein as the likes of Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, Lebron James, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, all legends who defined their eras in different sports with sheer domination. By delivering a dominant performance to retain his Gold Medal from Rio 2016 the World Marathon record holder wrote another chapter in the history books.

The Marathon is considered the Olympics’ defining event.

Aside from the competing teams which were present at the stadium, millions followed the closing ceremony from around the world on TV and streaming platforms. Thanks to Eliud Kipchoge and Peres Jepchirchir’s exploits in the Men’s and Women’s Marathons respectively, Kenya’s national anthem was the last to be heard at the just-concluded Olympics – ringing out twice at the closing ceremony in Tokyo on August 8.

Download eliud kipchoge nike