Deji Ogeyingbo is our senior writer from Nigeria. Now in graduate school at the University of Georgia, Deji has made some pretty bold predictions for the athletes of the African continent. What do you think of his predictions?
Bold Predictions for African Athletics in 2024
We’ve just witnessed an unforgettable year for African athletics, with the East Africans running outrageous times in the marathon, outstanding performances at the world championships in Budapest, and historic contributions by its stars in the Diamond League and other continental tour events.
As we enter 2024 — an Olympic year, no less — we deliver six bold predictions for the next 12 months of African athletics.
Kelvin Kiptum to break the sub-two-hour marathon mark.
Is this the year we finally see a Sub-two-hour marathon? It seems like a broken record, but Eliud Kipchoge showed us what was humanly possible, albeit with the aid of a phalanx of elite distance runners set out in exquisite formation, one which made his 1:59:40 not sanctioned by World Athletics. Still, it showed us what is possible.
Since that race in Austria, Kipchoge has lowered the official world record to 2:01:09 in Berlin in 2022, but rather more sterling is the new kid on the block, Kelvin Kiptum, lowering it last year.
Kiptum’s journey in the marathon world throughout 2023 has been nothing short of extraordinary. In only his third marathon, Kiptum outpaced the previous record by an astounding 34 seconds at the Chicago Marathon last October in a stunning time of two hours and 35 seconds.
The Kenyan not only shattered the men’s marathon world record but now aims to achieve an unprecedented milestone: to become the first man to break the two-hour barrier in the event.
Based on the current world record data, a runner as extraordinary as Kipchoge will demand the world’s patience, with an estimated time of November 2031.
The statistics present us with a choice. Either we look to a runner in the mold of Kipchoge (which Kiptum seems to be like) and expect the official sub-2 breakthrough in 2031, or we hold onto the hope of a seemingly impossible runner X to emerge and achieve this in the next 12 months.
With Kiptum set to run in Rotterdam in April 2024, there is a strong indication he might just lower the time he set a few months back. This time, we hope he takes off 36s or more of his current world record.
Marie Josee Ta Lou to win the women’s…
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