After years of battling in silence, elite Kenyan marathoner Amos Kipruto has finally opened up about the devastating condition that has quietly plagued his career—revealing a heartbreaking truth that has stunned the athletics world.

Amos Kipruto Breaks His Silence: The Painful Truth Behind His 2025 Chicago Marathon Defeat

 

After years of battling in silence, elite Kenyan marathoner Amos Kipruto has finally opened up about the devastating condition that has quietly plagued his career—revealing a heartbreaking truth that has stunned the athletics world.

Kipruto, 33, who finished second at the 2025 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:03:54, shocked fans not just with his performance, but with what he revealed afterward: a chronic degenerative hip condition that has silently eroded his performance, training consistency, and quality of life for nearly three years.

> “I have been running on borrowed time,” Kipruto said in an emotional press conference on Monday. “The pain was something I learned to live with. Every step in training, every mile in a race—it felt like a knife digging into my hip. But I didn’t want to make excuses. I thought I could still fight.”

Kipruto’s revelation came just hours after his valiant second-place finish behind Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who set a blistering pace in the Windy City. Many had wondered why Kipruto, the 2022 London Marathon champion, had seen a dip in form over recent years, punctuated by withdrawals, slower times, and long absences from competition.

Now, the truth is clear.

Kipruto shared that his condition—a rare form of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)—was first diagnosed in late 2022, shortly after his London triumph. The condition, which causes the bones of the hip to rub abnormally, leads to pain, limited range of motion, and in some cases, long-term damage to the joint.

“I didn’t want the world to see me as weak,” he said. “In our culture, you fight. You keep going. And I thought I could push through.”

His decision to keep the diagnosis private was rooted in fear—fear of being dropped by sponsors, excluded from national teams, or written off as finished in a sport where youth and consistency often dominate the headlines.

But the emotional toll, Kipruto admitted, became unbearable.

> “There were nights I cried alone,” he said. “Not because I lost races, but because I felt I was losing myself. The pain, the silence—it was crushing.

His courageous confession has sparked an outpouring of support from fans, athletes, and sports organizations across the world. Fellow Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge wrote on X, “Amos, your strength goes far beyond your legs. Thank you for your honesty. You inspire us all.”

Athletics Kenya has pledged to support Kipruto through treatment and potential surgery, and conversations are already underway about better support systems for injured athletes battling silently.

Whether Kipruto returns to competitive racing remains uncertain. But in finally telling his story, he’s achieved something far more powerful than a podium finish.

> “Maybe I won’t win another marathon,” he said quietly. “But if my truth helps even one athlete feel less alone, then I’ve already won.”