Eliud159 : The Insights

History has been made. Let us have 1 minute 59 seconds of silence to celebrate this fete.

The Man

The man behind the #Eliud159 #INEOS159 challenge is none other than Eliud Kipchoge. The 34-year-old marathoner from Kenya has done it. He is the first human to run a marathon in under two (2) hours (1:59:40.2). The man is the youngest in a family of four, lost his father when young, inspired by his neighbour athelete Patrick Sang, and was not a good athelete while in Kaptel Secondary School. The father of three is known for his humility, loyalty, discipline, and devotion. There's so much to know about this man. He is the World marathon champion at 2:01:39. This is a great man. 

The insight I draw from him is the hard work and determination that we need as human beings to achieve the goals in our lives. Above all let us stay humble. Kipchoge is said to be a humble guy despite making history and money even before the #INEOSchallenge. Remain humble even when you make it in life.

The Bible

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV)

The Need for Self-Discipline

"²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

The Bible talks about a race like this. Only one man can win it at a time and Eliud has done it. But the strict training, the discipline, running within those orange lines, chasing time. It has paid out. Christians are urged to run in the same manner in matters of faith.

The Preparation

Eliud tried this fete in Monza, Italy in 2017 but failed by 26 seconds when he clocked 2:00:25. But he did not give up. Together with his team, they trained for over 4 months, running through the highlands and forests of Kaptagat, over 2K meters above sea level (which means less oxygen), and eating a controlled diet. I can't overstate the amount preparation done for this challenge. The athelete gave everything. To achieve anything in life, we need to prepare. Set your mind right, pray, put things in order, then face the challenges boldly.

The Pacers

With about 9 teams interchanging as the race went on, you could see the formation of pace makers including a captain to control and monitor the flow. The selection and planning here was done to give Kipchoge the right push. The insight I draw from this is the need for people around us to push us on. A time comes when you feel like you can't make it any more, you've tried enough and it's not working. Having people around you showing you that it is still possible gives you strength. It feels even better when these people share in what you do - the pace makers were not simply clapping Eliud on; they were running with him for up to 5kms before switching.

The Message - No Human is Limited

Spiritually speaking, human beings are limited in that they rely on a higher power to be complete. But God has given us the ability and Grace to achieve more than we can imagine. What happens then is that we set barriers in our minds. Scientifically speaking, it is not possible to run a full marathon (42kms) in under 2 hours. The body heats up, strength runs out. To put it plainly, you can die. That is why an appropriate altitude, climate, weather, shoes, diet before race, drinks during race, route had to be chosen for Eliud - to weaken the scientific and geographical barriers. But even with these, it is still not easy.

#NoHumanisLimited

It is said that Eliud smiles when he feels pain, and I saw him smile several times. It is also said that marathon begins at kilometer 30 - that's when the body says "I have given enough" and the mind says "you cannot go further". Muscles ache. But when that happens, Eliud smiles, confusing his mind into thinking that all is well, pushing the body beyond the limit. Paul says in other versions of 1 Cor 9:27, "I beat my body and make it my slave." That is what Eliud does to his body - he beats it. When it can't take it any more and tells him to give up, he takes charge and with a smile he tells his body, "I am in charge now, you do as I say. We have to do it."

Think of yourself in similar situations - push the limit further. The human body is pleasuer-seeking and pain-avoiding. If you allow it to control you then you're done because you can't achieve anything. You need to push the limits that your body sets for you. Go a notch higher. See, Eliud finished 19 seconds earlier than thought even though he wasted some 2-3 seconds waving and celebrating just before finishing (another insight there, got it?). You can also do it - push your limits.

Let us celebrate this victory together as Kenyans.