Kipchoge admires cerebral palsy runner running FM sub6

"Humans have no limits. Congratulations Roca," Kipchoge wrote on Instagram Story, with a video of the Spanish runner making history on March 19 at Barcelona Marathon 2023.

Roca has cerebral palsy 76%, leading to limited mobility and communication through sign language. He contracted herpes virus encephalitis from the age of six months, and was told he would not live. But the Catalan runner has overcome and set a series of miracles. He has completed more than 70 5km and 10km races, five triathlons (swim, bike, run), six HMs (21.0975km run) and one aquathlon (swim and run triathlon) ).

On March 19, Roca continued to make history when becoming the first person to complete a marathon with a disability rate of 76%. Before attending the 2023 Barcelona Marathon, he said: "I decided to enter the tournament so that those who feel scared or don't see themselves as capable of achieving this goal, watch me cross the finish line. If I can do it, then I will. they can do it too."

Roca finished 42.195km at the Barcelona Marathon with a time of 5 hours 50 minutes 51 seconds. After finishing, the 32-year-old runner lay down on the road, surrounded and praised by his wife, Mari Carmen Maza, and a group of companions and fans.

The runner then posted the moment on social media accounts and wrote: "I made history. First person in the world to be injured 76% complete the marathon. Thank you for the support, I have no words to describe this feeling." Gary Lineker, England legend, retweeted the video on his personal page with 8.9 million followers and wrote "awesome" with a clapping emoji.

"Sport is very important in my daily life, because it is a lifestyle for self-improvement," Roca's website reads. "I believe that no one can set a limit for you, but that limit is set by you. Outside of sports, I love to speak and show the society the limit you set yourself, and at the same time raise the bar. awareness and bring society closer to people with disabilities".

Roca emphasized that he does not like to use the word "disabled people", but wants the public to see that these are people with different abilities. And people like him want to be treated like everyone else.

Kipchoge is considered the greatest marathon runner of all time. He won gold medal in Olympic marathon 2016 , 2020. This Kenyan runner owns two of the best marathon records in history, a world record of 2 hours 1 minute 9 seconds set at Berlin Marathon 2022 and 2 hours 1 minute 39 seconds also at Berlin Marathon 2022. Berlin 2018. He has won the major championship 10 times, including four times in London (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019), four times in Berlin (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022), once in Chicago (2014). and Tokyo (2021).

Kipchoge is currently the only person in the world to run a marathon under 2 hours (sub 2) - a timeline that was once thought to be impossible for humans. However, his achievement of 1 hour 59 minutes 40.2 seconds in Vienna, Austria, in October 2019 is not recognized as a world record because this runner born in 1984 competed with the surrounding conditions that have been determined. control, as there was no opponent and the pacer team alternated support.