Eliud Kipchoge will run at the Melbourne Marathon Festival in October, his third stop on a marathon world tour.
The Olympic legend and former world record-holder aims to run seven marathons across all continents.
## What's the plan?
Kipchoge will tick off Melbourne as the third stop on his tour, having previously run in Sydney.
He experienced the Australian running community's passion last year.
## Why Melbourne?
Kipchoge said "Running brings people together across all borders" and he's excited to return to Australia.
He noted Australia is a real outdoor country with a big love for sports.
The Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival event director, Marcus Gale, says having Kipchoge on the start line elevates the event.
Gale called Kipchoge the greatest marathon runner of all time.
## What's the course like?
The route has been changed to speed up the course, removing a gradual hill on Birdwood Avenue.
Runners will now cover extra distance on the flat surface of Beach Road.
The athletes will run in the opposite direction along Beach Road, heading down towards Elwood first.
## What's next?
Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic marathon gold medallist, is widely considered the greatest marathoner of all time.
He held the world record for just over five years, until Kelvin Kiptum broke it in late 2023.
Kipchoge is the only runner in history to have broken the two-hour marathon barrier, with a time of 1:59.40.
He will run at the Melbourne Marathon Festival, which will be his third stop on the tour.
The event will take place in October, with tens of thousands of runners and spectators expected to attend.
Kipchoge's decision to make Melbourne the official Oceania stop of his world tour is a landmark moment for the event.
The Melbourne Marathon Festival will be a great opportunity for Kipchoge to connect with the Australian running community.
He will be joined by other runners, all aiming to complete the 42.2km distance.
The event will be a celebration of running and the community that comes with it.
Kipchoge's participation will undoubtedly elevate the event to an even greater international stage.
The Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival is set to be an exciting event, with Kipchoge's attendance being a major drawcard.