Eliud Kipchoge Finishes 12th in Rainy Porto Alegre Marathon as He Continues World Tour
Photo: Courtesy.
By Robert Mutasi
Kenyan marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge placed 12th in the NB 42K Porto Alegre 2026 Marathon on Sunday, July 12, clocking 2:18:39 on a wet and challenging course.
The 41-year-old two-time Olympic champion, who was running the second leg of his ambitious ‘Eliud Kipchoge World Tour’, started strongly but faded in the second half of the race. Kipchoge was on pace for a sub-2:10 finish at the 20km mark on the flat course but ultimately crossed the line nearly 10 minutes behind the winner.
Moroccan runner Zineddine Ouria won the elite men’s race in a personal best time of 2:08:49. Fellow Kenyan Thomas Maru finished third in 2:09:13, while Morocco’s Kaoutar Kahhaz claimed victory in the women’s race with 2:32:58. Kenya’s Caroline Kilel was the top Kenyan woman, finishing fourth in 2:35:14.
Kipchoge’s time was significantly slower than his 2:08:44 performance in Rio de Janeiro 10 years ago, when he claimed his first Olympic gold medal.
Family Support on the Course
In a heartwarming personal milestone, Kipchoge was joined by his wife, Grace Sugut, who completed her second consecutive marathon. Sugut finished strongly in 4:26:25.
The couple had previously run together at the Cape Town City Marathon in May, where Kipchoge finished 16th as he launched his World Tour initiative. The tour aims to see him compete in seven marathons across all seven continents over the next two years, with a focus on supporting education and environmental causes globally.
With the South American leg now complete, Kipchoge will next head to Australia for the Nike Melbourne Marathon on Sunday, October 11, to tick off the Oceania leg.
Kipchoge has previously indicated he has no plans to venture into coaching once his illustrious running career comes to an end.
The Porto Alegre race was held under rainy conditions, adding to the difficulty for all competitors on the day.
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