How would Eliud Kipchoge stack up against Christian Coleman & Noah Lyles in a 100m?

The marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge may not dominate the 100m, but could his unique strategy surprise sprinters like Coleman and Lyles?

Eliud Kipchoge may be in the twilight of his career with the man who has redefined marathon running preparing to hang up his racing shoes at some point in the near future, but there is one question that has captured the imagination of fans and runners alike: how fast can Eliud Kipchoge run 100 meters?

We know the marathon king can break records over 42.195 kilometers, but how does he fare when faced with the sprints? Let us break it down and keep in mind this is all in good fun because, well, Kipchoge is not about to challenge Usain Bolt anytime soon, but the numbers tell us something interesting.

First, let us talk about Kipchoge’s renowned marathon pace. At his fastest, the man has run an average of 2:50 per kilometer during the Berlin Marathon in 2022, and in his famous Ineos 1:59 Challenge, he completed the marathon under 2 hours at a pace of 2:50 per kilometer as well.

To put that into perspective, that is around 17 seconds per 100 meters. Which sounds kind of fast for a distance runner, right? Well, let’s hold our horses because this is where things get comical.

We know that Usain Bolt, the fastest man in history, holds the 100m record with a mind-boggling 9.58 seconds, which translates to a pace of about 9.58 meters per second. Kipchoge’s marathon pace? A solid 3.57 meters per second. That’s like watching a cheetah stretch out a leisurely sprint next to a car stuck in traffic. Not exactly a fair comparison, right?

So, how does Kipchoge stack up in a straight 100m race, you ask?

Let’s imagine Kipchoge decided to drop the marathon and go for the gold in the 100m dash. He lines up against Bolt (or maybe even Noah Lyles, who’s been doing some serious damage recently), and the starter’s gun goes off.

Now, Kipchoge, being the strategy mastermind he is, would probably start with the best form possible—no nonsense, no wasted energy. The guy could probably put together a pretty efficient 100m race... but it’s still not going to be a world record performance.

If we take Kipchoge’s 2:50 marathon pace and try to apply it to 100 meters, it would mean running the distance in about 17 seconds. That is not even close to Bolt’s record—it is like a sprinting grandpa at a family barbecue trying to keep up with the kids.

Of course, this is not to say Kipchoge could not get faster if he trained specifically for the 100m. His long-distance endurance and mental toughness could give him an advantage over sprinters in a surprise, one-off race, but he’d need to channel some of that marathon pacing magic into raw speed.

Kipchoge, however, is no stranger to breaking expectations as he is the king of pacing and, dare I say, the true marathon magician. Imagine if he were to apply the same meticulous attention to detail in his training for a 100m race that he does for the marathon—he might not catch Bolt, but he would definitely make things interesting. We could even see a “marathoners vs. sprinters” event where Kipchoge, with his tactical brain, runs the 100m at a controlled pace to keep the audience guessing.

He might even pull a move where he intentionally holds back a bit in the first 50m, waiting for the sprinters to tire themselves out before making his move in the final stretch. While it might not result in victory, it’d be a spectacle worth watching.

Now, some might argue, “Hey, Kipchoge has a 100m split time from his marathon races, right?” And sure, you’d be correct! Kipchoge’s 100m time in a marathon can be derived by dividing his pace over 42.195 km into 100m splits.

Based on his marathon pace of 2:50 per kilometer, we know that his 100m splits would be around 17 seconds. If we wanted to get fancy, we could add some more advanced metrics, but the key takeaway here is that Kipchoge’s 100m times from a marathon aren’t going to win him any sprinting titles—he is too focused on pacing himself for the long haul.

However, there is something to be said about Kipchoge's mental fortitude. While others might falter under pressure, Kipchoge thrives. He is not the fastest sprinter, but when it comes to long-distance planning and executing under extreme pressure, he’s unmatched.

Perhaps if Kipchoge set his sights on 100 meters instead of 42 kilometers, he would find a way to work his magic, blending his endurance strategy with some raw speed.

Of course, that would require a few years of dedicated sprinting work and a bit more explosiveness in his legs—but don't put it past the man who made history running under two hours.

So, can Kipchoge break the 100m world record? Not today, not in a traditional sprinting race against the likes of Usain Bolt or Noah Lyles.

But does he bring something unique to the table that could shake up a 100m race? Absolutely. The answer to how fast Kipchoge can run 100m? Let’s just say, it is still a whole lot slower than Usain Bolt, but he would likely cross the finish line with a smirk, a plan for next time and a bunch of broken expectations in his wake.