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Ex-Chelsea star Da Silva meets Kipchoge in Brazil Willian described meeting the Kenyan distance-running icon as a privilege. Kipchoge is currently on a bold mission to race across all seven continents over the next two years Audio By Vocalize Kenya's iconic marathoner and two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge will make the third stop of his ambitious world marathon tour next month when he lines up for the Melbourne Marathon on October 11. Kipchoge is currently on a bold mission to race across all seven continents over the next two years, using the journey to inspire healthier lifestyles while celebrating the universal language of distance running. His continental expedition began in Africa at the Cape Town Marathon on May 24, where he finished 16th in 2:13:29 as Ethiopia's Mohamed Esa stormed to victory in a course record 2:04:55. The second chapter took him to South America for the Porto Alegre Marathon in Brazil, where he placed 12th after clocking 2:18:39. The marathon great heads to Oceania, relishing another opportunity to connect with one of the world's fastest-growing running communities. “Running brings people together across all borders. I am excited to return to Australia and experience the energy of the Melbourne Marathon." “The Australian running community is booming, and the passion I experienced here before will stay with me for a lifetime." “I saw that Australia is a real outdoor country with a big love for sports. That is why I can't wait to come back, experience a new part of this great country and run together with the people of Melbourne and all of Oceania,” Kipchoge told race organisers. Melbourne will mark his second appearance on Australian roads after making his debut at the Sydney Marathon last year, where he finished ninth in 2:08:30. Kipchoge arrives with a resume that reads like a chronicle of marathon greatness. Alongside his Olympic triumphs in Rio 2016 (2:08:44) and Tokyo 2020 (2:08:38), he remains the most decorated athlete in the Abbott World Marathon Majors with an extraordinary 11 victories. Kipchoge has dominated the Berlin race, having captured titles in 2015 (2:04:00), 2017 (2:03:32), 2018 (2:01:39), 2022 (2:01:09) and 2023 (2:02:42), in addition to finishing runner-up in 2016 in 2:03:23. He has also ruled the streets of London with four victories in 2015 (2:04:42), 2016 (2:03:05), 2018 (2:04:17) and 2019 (2:02:37), while adding major crowns in Chicago 2014 (2:04:11) and Tokyo 2021 (2:02:40). The Kenyan legend rewrote the world record twice in Berlin, first with 2:01:39 in 2018 before lowering it further to 2:01:09 in 2022. The record was later eclipsed by the late Kelvin Kiptum, who ran 2:00:35 in Chicago in 2023, before Sebastian Sawe became the first man to officially break the two-hour barrier with 1:59:40 at the 2026 London Marathon. Kipchoge, however, will forever hold a unique place in athletics history as the first man to cover the marathon distance in under two hours, producing the iconic 1:59:40 at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, albeit in unofficial conditions. Willian described meeting the Kenyan distance-running icon as a privilege.