Kenenisa Bekele vs Eliud Kipchoge
Kenenisa Bekele vs Eliud Kipchoge: head-to-head — careers, honours, key numbers and why the rivalry matters.
Why compare Kenenisa Bekele and Eliud Kipchoge?
Kenenisa Bekele and Eliud Kipchoge have been compared as two of the greatest distance runners, with Kipchoge setting the marathon world record in 2018, just after Bekele's impressive performances.
Kenenisa Bekele
Key numbers
- Olympic Games3 Gold, 1 Silver
- World Championships5 Gold, 1 Bronze
- World Cross Country Championships11 Gold
- Marathon Wins2
- World Marathon Majors2 Wins
Top honours
- Olympic Gold Medals3 (2004, 2008)
- World Championships Gold Medals5
- World Indoor Championships Gold Medals1
- World Cross Country Championships Gold Medals11
- African Championships Gold Medals2
VS
Eliud Kipchoge
Key numbers
- Marathon Wins15
- Olympic Medals3
- World Championships Medals2
- World Marathon Majors Wins11
- Sub-2 Hour Marathons1
Top honours
- Olympic Games2 Gold, 1 Bronze (2004, 2008, 2016, 2020)
- World Championships1 Gold, 1 Silver (2003, 2007)
- World Cross Country Championships1 Gold (2003)
- World Marathon Majors11 Wins (2014-2022)
- Princess of Asturias AwardAwarded in 2023 for contributions to sports