EXCLUSIVE: Jake Paul Set to Fight Eliud Kipchoge
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Fresh off his win over Mike Tyson, the boxer Jake Paul has set his sights on a surprising opponent, Dumb Runner has learned: Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge.
The unlikely pair is expected to meet in the ring sometime in January 2025. The event will be streamed live, co-sponsored by Netflix and Runner’s World.
Paul, 27, won a unanimous victory over Tyson, 58, in a highly publicized match Friday; Kipchoge, 40, who held the marathon world record from 2018-2023, is one of the all-time greats, with two Olympic gold medals and numerous major marathon wins.
Kipchoge retired from marathon competition this year after dropping out of the marathon at the Paris Games—an experience he compared to being knocked down in a boxing match. The Kenyan, reported to weigh around 115 pounds, has no experience in the ring, but is known for his discipline and mental toughness. Paul, a heavyweight, is an experienced fighter.
Experts expressed surprise at the match-up, with one saying he expected it would be promoted “as a classic test of strength vs. endurance.” That same expert, however, added that he wonders whether Kipchoge “knows what he’s getting into.”
“I mean, mental toughness can only get you so far,” he said.
Either way, the expert added, it should be interesting.
“I’ll be tuning in, for sure,” he said.
