Eliud Kipchoge: Kenyan Olympic marathon champion to race public in Paris 2024 event

Eliud Kipchoge is only the third person to win successive Olympic marathons

Two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge will take on members of the public in a running challenge to mark 1,000 days until the start of the Paris 2024 Games.

The Kenyan will participate in a pursuit-style 5km race against 2,000 runners on the Champs-Elysees in the French capital on 31 October.

With the field split into different groups based on ability, the challenge is to out-run Kipchoge, who will cover a longer distance and aim to catch up with the rest of the pack.

Those who manage to hold off the 36-year-old will secure their entry for the mass participation marathon at Paris 2024, which is being held on the same day as the Olympic marathon.

In a first for the Games, amateur athletes in the mass event will be able to follow the same route as the Olympic race just hours later.

Kipchoge holds the world record for the marathon, running 2:01:39 at the Berlin marathon in 2018, and defended his Olympic title in Tokyo in August.

"I am delighted to be heading to Paris 1,000 days before the start of the 2024 Olympic Games for a truly exceptional challenge," he said.

"Open to all, whatever their level, this unique race is a wonderful image of what running is about: it is accessible and open to everyone.

"On one of the most beautiful avenues in the world, I challenge you to not let me catch you!"