Eliud Kipchoge runs 2:13:29 for 16th in Cape Town, his first marathon on African soil

Eliud Kipchoge has run marathons in Berlin, London, Chicago, Tokyo, Boston and New York, and twice for Olympic gold. Until Sunday he had never run one in Africa. He finished the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in 16th place in 2:13:29, eight and a half minutes behind Mohamed Esa, whose 2:04:55 was the fastest marathon ever run on the continent.

The race was the first stop of what Kipchoge calls Eliud's Running World, the plan he announced after last year's New York City Marathon: seven marathons on all seven continents over two years. The organisers describe him as a former two-time world record holder, two-time Olympic champion and winner of eleven Majors. In Cape Town he was one of about 8,500 international entrants, the largest overseas field the race has had, on a cool, clear morning with almost no wind.

He was clear about what the day meant. "I believe that all one billion Africans should be proud of this race," he said.

The race itself has ambitions of the same size. It is in the last phase of its bid to become the first Abbott World Marathon Major on the continent; its chief executive, Clark Gardner, said after the race that a decision was expected in two or three weeks. Three of the four course records fell on the day, with David Weir and Manuela Schär taking the wheelchair marks and Esa the men's.

A 2:13 is a long way from Kipchoge's best. It is also the most decorated marathoner there has been running on home ground for the first time, and pulling a city out to watch. The time was never the point.

Sources: Sanlam Cape Town Marathon; Runner's World South Africa.