Kenya’s marathon great Eliud Kipchoge has given reasons why he has never thought of working with anyone else other than his long-time coach and friend Patrick Sang.
Kenya’s marathon great Eliud Kipchoge believes his full trust in the methods of his coach Patrick Sang is the reason they have worked together for a long time.
Kipchoge and Sang have formed an unbreakable bond having worked together since 2003, enjoying success on the track and on the road.
Sang, a former 3,000m steeplechase silver medallist in Olympics (1992) and World Championships (1991 and 1993), has shaped Kipchoge from a 5,000m world champion into a revered marathoner that has won 15 of the last 18 marathons he has competed in.
Kipchoge feels they would not have enjoyed that kind of success had they not had trust in each other and also subscribed to the same values.
“I believe and trust what Patrick carries in his mind. If you are a CEO of a company, you need to tell your employees what you believe,” Kipchoge told the LOAF Podcast.
“And if you tell them what you believe, they will work by sweat, blood and tears to make sure it actually grows.
“The belief of Patrick is working hard, being consistent, trust worthiness and value-oriented. I believe I have the right values to move on in sports.
“I trust enough in what Patrick gives me and that is what has made us stick together for the last 21 years. If the values have made us stay together for 21 years, I don’t think anything else can break us.”
Kipchoge’s sentiments mirror what Sang also believes in. He has previously spoken of how his success with various athletes comes from the fact that he has the freedom to tell them what he feels is right.
“Generally, the athletes I work with and have been successful place trust in the coach,” Sang told World Athletics in 2021.
“Without trust, you cannot go far with the athlete. Athletes such as Eliud and Geoffrey [Kamworor] have never asked me, ‘why do we do this or that?’. They just trust the process and do the job – although sometimes that puts a bit more pressure on you as a coach.”
Besides Kipchoge, Sang also works with a number of top runners such as multiple world and Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon as well as two-time New York marathon winner Geoffrey Kamworor.
The three are among the over 25 athletes at the Kaptagat Training Camp who all draw from the pool of knowledge that Sang offers.
Most of them have achieved plenty of success and more could be on the way this year at the Paris Olympics where Kipchoge and Kipyegon will be out to defend their titles while Kamworor hopes to make the marathon team.
