US-based apparel company Nike has unveiled a statue of Kenyan marathon great Eliud Kipchoge at its headquarters in Oregon.
In a statement on its website, Nike noted that the statue made of bronze will be placed near a beloved running path in the city.
From the photos shared on the website, the statue, golden and black in color, resembles Kipchoge’s running posture and has other features including a Nike branded kit, running shoes and a watch.
On his watch, the iconic 1:59:40 time recorded in his historic marathon in Austria, Vienna is engraved.
Further, the statue has a wrist band on the left hand bearing Kichoge’s famous phrase “No human is limited”.
According to Cnstatue, a renowned statue maker, a bronze sculpture of Kipchoge’s size could go for money in the range of Ksh1.1 million and 2.2 million.
Moreover, the statue, according to Nike, was created by a local artist named Alison Caswell.
“The statue was created by local Oregon artist Alison Caswell and captures Eliud’s signature gait and unique running style.”
In addition to the statue, Nike also renamed a track at its European Headquarters after Kipchoge and will now be named the “Eliud Kipchoge Track & Field.”
The track, which underwent renovations earlier in 2023 to expand the number of lanes and modernize the track surface, serves a growing number of passionate runners.
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As part of its efforts to honor the two-time Olympic champion, Nike organized an athlete tour across China to celebrate the growth of running across the country.
Further, Kipchoge was also scheduled to meet Nike employees and host discussions with local running communities.
Nike unveils Eliud Kipchoge wear
What’s more, the statue and the renamed running track in Europe add to several other moves made to honor Kipchoge.
Earlier in September, Nike unveiled a Kipchoge inspired apparel and footwear brand named EK Umoja Collection.
Kipchoge in a statement shared after the launch of his collection noted that the designs were a result of collaboration of players within the running community to develop comfortable kits and running shoes.
“This collection represents the work done together as a running family and community.”
Also Read: Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Silence but Fails to Congratulate Kiptum
Despite seeing his official record broken by his country and young gun Kelvin Kiptum, Kipchoge’s name is still deeply entrenched in athletics’ hall of fame.
He has won a record 11 World Marathon Majors throughout his career spanning over two decades.
Further, the Kenyan marathon runner has won four Olympic medals, and broken his own marathon world record twice to become the one of most dominant athletes in history.
In 2019, Kipchoge partnered with Nike and Ineos in a historic that saw him prove that it was possible to run a 42 Kilometers race in under 2 hours.
