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Dr Rangan ChatterjeeDr Rangan Chatterjee

World’s Fastest Runner: "Why You Feel Empty Inside!" - Let Go Of Perfection & Find Happiness

This episode is brought to you by: WHOOP: Try the New WHOOP today at https://join.whoop.com/livemore VIVOBAREFOOT: Get 20% off your first order https://bit.ly/44khCNr KETONE IQ: Save 30% OFF your subscription order PLUS get a free gift with your second shipment https://ketone.com/livemore Download my FREE Habit Change Guide HERE: https://bit.ly/3VCaV34 When life doesn’t unfold the way we hoped, it can be tempting to see that as failure. But what if it was those moments that actually shape us the most? This week, I’m delighted to welcome Eliud Kipchoge back to the show for a second incredible conversation - recorded just days after he completed the 2025 London Marathon. Eliud is a Kenyan athlete who is widely regarded as the greatest marathon runner of all time. He has won two successive Olympic marathons and 10 major titles. And of course, he’s the only athlete to have ever run a marathon in under two hours, which he did back in 2019 in Vienna as part of the 1:59 challenge. But as you’ll hear in this conversation, his wisdom goes far beyond running as Eliud shares the life lessons that have shaped his journey - not just as an athlete, but as a human being. You’ll also hear: • Why Eliud believes discipline is what creates freedom - and how keeping promises to yourself builds the self-trust needed to face life’s hardest moments • Why failure is not the opposite of success, but, instead, the soil where wisdom grows • How running has become a metaphor for life - with its highs, lows, unexpected challenges and the need to keep moving forward • How Eliud not being able to finish his last Olympic marathon taught him more than any victory ever could • The true power of community, humility, and purpose - and why Eliud still cleans toilets at his training camp despite being a global icon • How planning, consistency and positive thinking guide his life - and why he believes ego is something we must all learn to let go of Throughout our conversation, Eliud speaks with warmth, humility and compassion. He challenges the idea that goals alone define success - reminding us that it’s the process, the discipline and the way we show up every day that truly counts. Whether you’re a runner or not, this episode is an invitation to reflect on your own mindset, your values, and your relationship with setbacks. Eliud shows us that progress isn’t always linear - and that real growth often happens in the moments we never planned for. I hope you enjoy listening. #feelbetterlivemore ----- Show notes available at: https://drchatterjee.com/567 Find out more about Eliud: About https://www.nnrunningteam.com/team/eliud-kipchoge/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kipchogeeliud/?hl=en Twitter https://twitter.com/EliudKipchoge Facebook https://en-gb.facebook.com/EliudKipchogeOfficial/ Eliud Kipchoge Foundation https://www.eliudkipchogefoundation.org/ Eliud’s book No Human is Limited US https://amzn.to/4kYE1XE UK https://amzn.to/44ehbEd #feelbetterlivemore #feelbetterlivemorepodcast ------- Order MAKE CHANGE THAT LASTS. US & Canada version https://amzn.to/3RyO3SL, UK version https://amzn.to/3Kt5rUK ----- Follow Dr Chatterjee at: Website: https://drchatterjee.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drchatterjee Twitter: https://twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Newsletter: https://drchatterjee.com/subscription DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Dr. Rangan ChatterjeehostEliud Kipchogeguest
Jun 24, 20251h 34mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Eliud Kipchoge on values-driven success, discipline, humility, happiness, resilience

  1. Kipchoge defines a “beautiful race” as starting and finishing with the same spirit and values—respect, integrity, love—regardless of time or placing.
  2. They explore how goals can motivate discipline yet become psychologically limiting when identity and self-worth depend on outcomes rather than the process.
  3. Kipchoge frames marathon-running as a metaphor for life: setbacks are inevitable “potholes,” and the real measure is how you recover, learn, and continue forward.
  4. He emphasizes legacy and service—nurturing the next generation, building community, and using running as a “movement” to improve health, unity, and humanity.
  5. Practical mindset tools recur throughout: plan and journal daily, build trust through consistency, train happily, and treat humility as the antidote to anger and ego.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Success is values-aligned completion, not podium position.

Kipchoge calls any race “beautiful” if you start and finish while maintaining respect, integrity, and the spirit of sport; the result is secondary to how you conduct yourself.

Goals should sit behind the system, not in front of the mind.

He supports having goals, but stresses the “recipes” (planning, preparation, consistency, nutrition, discipline) are what actually produce results; over-fixation on outcomes creates unnecessary suffering.

The unseen work is the real transformation.

Using the seed-in-soil metaphor, he highlights that growth happens in the difficult, invisible phase—fatigue, hunger, setbacks—before any visible “success” emerges.

A setback isn’t a verdict; it’s data for the next roadmap.

After pulling out of the Olympic marathon, he reframed the event as learning—review what happened, absorb emotions, adjust the plan, and return stronger rather than treating it as identity-threatening failure.

Discipline creates freedom by building self-trust.

Doing what you said you’d do forms a “cement” of trust between you and your craft; that trust stabilizes mindset under pressure and reduces reliance on motivation.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

A beautiful race is a race whereby you start and you finish.

Eliud Kipchoge

It was beautiful because I was running with the values. I was running with the spirit of sport and spirit of humanity, and I managed to go through all 42 kilometers with the same spirit and finish with the same spirit, with the same spirit, and that's beautiful.

Eliud Kipchoge

In this world, there is no human being who is limited. The, if the moment you are limited, then it only applies in your thinking.

Eliud Kipchoge

I always say marathon is life, and life is marathon.

Eliud Kipchoge

I always say those who are disciplined are the free people.

Eliud Kipchoge

“Beautiful race” and values of humanityGoals vs process (systems, planning, preparation)Resilience after setbacks (Paris DNF, London 6th)No Human Is Limited mindsetDiscipline, trust, and consistencyTeamwork culture and mentoring the next generationRunning as a public-health and social-unity movement

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