Kenyan legend Eliud Kipchoge, who won two Olympic gold medals, won his first marathon race in three years, after taking first place in Melbourne on Sunday.
The most decorated marathon runner in history crossed the finish line in a time of 2 hours, 9 minutes and 10 seconds, two seconds ahead of the race record.
This is his first victory in a marathon since his victory in Berlin in 2023, as part of his “World Tour” tour, which aims to raise funds for causes he believes in.
The former world record holder, 41 years old, announced in 2025 his intention to complete marathon races on seven continents, including Antarctica, within two years.
Melbourne was the third stop on this tour after South Africa and Brazil.
Kipchoge succeeded in staying away from his competitors during the last 10 kilometers of the race, part of which passed through the Albert Park circuit for Formula 1 races, before ending inside the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Kipchoge, who appeared refreshed at the finish line, said: “The track was really wonderful, and I enjoyed seeing people standing, encouraging and chanting my name.”
He could have set a better time, but slowed down inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground and waved to the fans.
He added: “It was really different, running on a beautiful track, on a Formula 1 track, and above all, finishing the race on a cricket field.”
He continued: “This makes me proud to run with the younger generation and inspire the runner community in Melbourne.”
Australian Thomas Do Canto came in second place with a time of 2:10:35, while New Zealander Camille French took first place in the women's race with a time of 2:28:25.
Argentine star Lionel Messi led his team, Inter Miami, to a sweeping victory over DC United 4-0, on Saturday, in the American Football League, by scoring two goals in his first victory since playing his international retirement match with his country’s national team.
Only 4 days after scoring a goal in his last match for the Albiceleste jersey during the victory over Benin, the 39-year-old South American star scored in the 47th and 60th minutes, leading defending champion Miami to achieve only its second victory in the last 11 matches he played in the league.
Uruguayan Luis Suarez gave the “Hirones” team the advantage by scoring two goals in the first half, raising the team’s score to 49 points from 13 victories, 5 defeats and 10 draws, and advancing from third to second place in the Eastern Region.
Messi hopes that Miami will become the first team to win the American League title two consecutive seasons since the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
Messi tops the list of players with the most scoring contributions in the league, with 23 goals, in addition to 13 assists, and he is seeking to win the best player award in the league for the third season in a row.
Suarez opened the scoring in the third minute, when he fired a shot with his left foot from the center of the penalty area into the upper left corner of the goal.
The former Barcelona and Liverpool star added his second goal in the 39th minute, his 16th goal this season, after receiving an assist from German Germán Bertrami, who also made the first goal.
Messi scored Miami's third goal with a left shot after a pass from Suarez, before going past three defenders and adding another goal 13 minutes later, as the hosts confirmed their superiority until the end.
In other matches, Scottish striker Lewis Morgan and American Djordje Mihajlovic scored two goals in stoppage time of the second half, leading Toronto to a 2-1 home victory over Montreal.
Toronto ended a series of 3 consecutive defeats, moving just one point closer to one of the playoff positions in the Eastern Conference.
In Chicago, Swiss striker Marin Haile Selassie scored a goal in the 87th minute to give Chicago Fire, who completed the match with 10 players, a 2-1 victory over New York City.
Real Madrid's Portuguese coach, Jose Mourinho, missed the press conference on Saturday evening, after the victory over Villarreal in the Spanish Football League, in protest against the red card received by Brazilian Vinicius Junior, according to what the club confirmed to Agence France-Presse.
Vinicius, who entered the second half after sitting on the bench for the first time this season, thought he had scored a goal just before he was sent off for pulling the hair of Canadian Nathan Saliba at the beginning of the attack (71). He may be suspended for several matches.
The Portuguese coach, angry at this decision, canceled his press conference, and did not go to the microphone of the official broadcasters of the Spanish League, even though this is considered one of his obligations after every match.
The Real Madrid coach is known to be accustomed to such media movements, and he exposes himself to disciplinary punishment from the Spanish League and a large financial fine due to his breach of his obligations.
This incident is reminiscent of what happened before the 2025 King's Cup final, when Real Madrid decided to boycott protocol media activities in protest against the appointment of a referee who had denounced the pressure exerted by Real Madrid TV.
On the other hand, on Sunday morning, Vinicius posted a brief message of apology via his Instagram account, in which he said: “The joys continue... I apologize to my team and the fans.”
