Eliud Kipchoge finished in sixth place at the 2023 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:09:23.
Kipchoge set the pace in the first 19 miles but fell behind after Gabriel Geay of Tanzania surged ahead in the 20th mile.
Kipchoge finished seventh for most of the race but was able to move up one spot by the finish.
Before the Boston Marathon, Kipchoge had only lost two marathons out of 19 starts.
Kipchoge downplayed the effects of aging on his performance in pre-race interviews and expressed confidence in tackling the hilly Boston course.
Kipchoge had set the second marathon world record of 2:01:09 in Berlin less than seven months ago.
Kipchoge was seen limping slightly after the race and did not answer questions in the media center.
Kipchoge provided a statement that he pushed himself as hard as he could but sometimes it's necessary to accept that it wasn't the day to push the barrier to a greater height.
Despite his loss in the Boston Marathon, Kipchoge remains excited for future challenges.