"My original dream was just to compete and represent Kenya. And make life good," he said. "Then life changes, and my thinking changes, and I got a new idea of pushing the limits — that's what I've been doing since."

At this year's Paris Olympics, Kipchoge withdrew from the marathon at around the 31-kilometer mark, missing the chance to secure a historic third consecutive Olympic gold.

Struggling with physical discomfort, he slowed to a pace that saw him alternating between running and walking. As runners passed, many offered words of encouragement to the legendary Kenyan.

After stepping off the course, Kipchoge chose to pass on the support he had received. He stopped on the track to wait for the last-place finisher, Mongolian runner Ser-Od Bat-Ochir, offering words of encouragement as he completed the race in two hours, 42 minutes and 33 seconds.

Around 300 of Kipchoge's dedicated fans walked alongside him for the final two kilometers, staying with him until he exited the race. As a gesture of gratitude, Kipchoge gave away his race gear — his uniform, socks, shoes and race number — to the supporters who had cheered him on.

After the race, Kipchoge said it was the worst marathon he had ever participated in, noting that he had never before retired from a race. He drew a comparisons with boxing: "Five months of training, then knocked out in two seconds."