This Sunday, the 2025 New York Marathon will fire the starting gun, and the men's elite field features a familiar face, Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele. Earlier, Eliud Kipchoge had already confirmed he would compete in the 2025 New York Marathon, so Bekele and Kipchoge will be racing each other again.
Originally, 2022 New York Marathon champion Evans Chebet was scheduled to compete this year, but he withdrew at the last minute. Bekele is stepping in to replace him.
Bekele is one of the greatest distance runners in history, while Kipchoge is the king of the marathon. Both legends are now over 40, so could this year's New York Marathon be their final showdown?
They have faced each other five times in marathons, with Eliud Kipchoge leading 4-1.Kenenisa Bekele's most recent appearance was at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he finished 39th in 2:12:24, while Kipchoge withdrew from the race with a hip problem.
But the rivalry between Kipchoge and Bekele goes far beyond the marathon. Their first meeting came 20 years ago, at the 2003 Bislett Games in Oslo. That day, 21-year-old Kenenisa Bekele won the men's 5000m in 12:52.26, beating 18-year-old Eliud Kipchoge by 0.3 seconds.
That same summer, at the World Athletics Championships in Paris, Eliud Kipchoge got his revenge, defeating Morocco'sHicham El Guerrouj and Kenenisa Bekele, who settled for bronze, to take the gold.
On the track, Kenenisa Bekele held the clear advantage in their head-to-heads: in 13 meetings over the 5000m and 10000m, Bekele beat Eliud Kipchoge 11 times.
But when the two switched to the marathon, the momentum changed. Eliud Kipchoge became the king of the marathon, holding the world record twice, until his late compatriotKelvin Kiptum broke his record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon and has held that record since.
In recent years, Kenenisa Bekele has remained at a high level. At the 2024 London Marathon he ran 2:04:15 to set a new men's masters (40+) world record, proving he is still capable of world-class performances. Kenenisa Bekele and Eliud Kipchoge have between them won five Olympic gold medals, six world championship titles, 13 Abbott World Marathon Majors victories, and have produced three of the five fastest marathon times in history.
Although both are past their peaks, they still respect each other.In 2020, Bekele told Athletics Weekly that he has great respect for Eliud Kipchoge and the contribution he has made to the sport. “We compete against each other, and I am happy about that.” Kipchoge has expressed the same view, saying he respects Bekele's humanity, his success and his spirit.
Kenenisa Bekele last raced the New York City Marathon in 2021, finishing sixth in 2:06:47. For Eliud Kipchoge, this will be his first appearance at the event; he will continue his bid to complete all seven Abbott World Marathon Majors. The New York City Marathon is the final stop on that quest — two months earlier he had just run the newest Majors member, the Sydney Marathon.
As Father Time closes in, the New York Marathon on November 2 may be the final chapter in a legendary rivalry in the world of long-distance running. There are fewer of their races to watch each time.
