Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge has been voted BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year.
Kipchoge, 34, topped an online public vote to win the prestigious award ahead of his rivals American gymnast Simone Biles, South Africa’s Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi, Australian cricketer Steve Smith, American golfer Tiger Woods and US footballer Megan Rapinoe.
Kipchoge, who is the world marathon record holder, became the first person in history to run a marathon in under two hours in October. He completed the 42-kilometer race in one hour 59 minutes 40 seconds in the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, Austria on October 12th.
On November 23rd, Kichoge beat four other contestants, including world 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda), world 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm of Norway, world 200m champion Noah Lyles (USA) and World Paul Vault champion Sam Kendricks (USA), to win the Male Athlete of the Year award for the second year in a row during a ceremony held in Monaco, France.
Kipchoge is set to return to racing in April 2019 London Marathon, where he looks to become the first athlete to win the elite men’s race five times. Kipchoge’s London titles came in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.
“I love running in London where the crowd support is always wonderful,” he said.
