‘Major’ aims as Cape Town Marathon races to be sport’s greenest event

The planet’s main elite marathon runner is two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge. He is urging sport to combat climate change after the Kenyan world record holder set up a foundation which concentrates on conservation.

The 38-year-old Kenyan was inspired to take action after realising clean air is needed to run, and that training in a polluted environment makes it impossible to perform.

“Climate actually is a real threat to sports,” Kipchoge told BBC Sport Africa.

“When there is no rain, when it is dry, then I don’t think you can train. The next generation is in danger if we don’t start now to conserve the environment, through planting trees and conserving our water.

“We are here to sensitise the whole community about plant conservation.”

Among Kipchoge’s collaborations is a tree-planting project in Kaptagat, the village where he trains.

It is a tradition for athletes who train in the camp in the south-west of Kenya, including the retired two-time 10,000m Olympic champion Haile Gebreselassie, to plant trees there.

“Without the clean air of Kaptagat, I couldn’t be where I am today so I’m grateful to the forest,” Kipchoge said.

“I’m grateful to the Kenya Forest Service for taking care of the forest, and that’s why I formed the foundation. I put key number one as conservation in order for me to conserve the environment and the whole forest of Kaptagat, as giving back to the society.”

Kipchoge is about to plant 42,000 indigenous trees and says the forest in Kaptagat is just the start for his foundation.