Mind Control - A Marathon Effort
Eliud Kipchoge - The Marathoner with a Mind
Introduction
In the last newsletter, we decided to to pick up the traits predominantly displayed in public by “successful” individuals and learn from them, the relevance of what our Scriptures taught us. This will enable us to reinforce our faith in these theories and take actions as deemed necessary in the rest of our lives.
Eliud Kipchoge was born on 5th November 1984 in southwest Kenya. He lost his father when he was a child and was raised by a single mother, a teacher. He is the youngest of four children. He used to trek 3 Kms everyday to his school.
Kipchoge is regarded as one of the greatest marathon runners of all time. He has achieved numerous world records and a historic sub-two-hour marathon.
He says in an interview “Socioeconomic cultural factors and genome combo makes what you are“.
Largely attributed to these factors, his physical abilities and training regimen are undoubtedly critical in his exceptional performance. While this could be the case with several long distance runners from the African Continent, it is his unwavering mental strength that truly sets him apart.
Details about his life, his career as a marathoner and his incredible achievements along with his various interviews, quotes etc are available in public domain. While we will not digress and get into his Sporting career, we will focus on Kipchoge, the Marathoner with a Mind, by analysing on what he has been saying about himself. We will then cross refer to what our “Prasthana Traya” (Upanishads, Brahma Sutra & and Bhagwad Gita) are saying and try and comprehend the life of the marathoner from a Vedantic perspective.
Extracts from Kipchoge’s Interviews
Unlike most of his peers in Kenya, his 3km daily trek to and from secondary school didn’t spark any interest in athletics for Kipchoge. Instead, it was the picturesque horizons of Nandi County, southwest Kenya, and beyond that sparked his imagination.
“Then, [I told] myself, let me just run to test. Jump into the plane and go to Europe and run. So, my aim was not even to do other things, but to feel that sweetness of being high on the clouds”.
“In a world where no human is limited, It’s believing in myself that that's made me really hit the wall and go across that wall.” says Kipchoge on his entry into long distance running.
“I don’t run to become famous. I run to test the limits of the human spirit”, says Kipchoge maintaining his goal at the very high level”.
By cultivating a strong sense of self-belief and self discipline helps Kipchoge to maintain his goal at the highest level.
“Mindset, hard work and self discipline is vital. Believe and commit to your dream with self discipline”.
“What motivates me year in, year out, is the love for the sport and the legacy I want to leave for the present and next generation”.
“Only the disciplined ones are free in life.”
Kipchoge’s penchant for hard work adhering to the values and goals set by himself is well known.
“Everything is a challenge, and everyday programme is a challenge. We have three big days in a week, and we put all our effort there,” explained the reigning marathon Olympic champion.
“Pain is everywhere, but we say we win marathons in preparations, so the way you think about pain is the way your life will be. Apex if the pain is, it is where success is “ says Kipchoge after his record breaking running the marathon inside 2 hours.
“It's tough being at the top. It's really tough, because a lot of expectations are there with performance, with life's expectations. I'm competing with my values, I'm running with the values of sports, of humanity's competition, I've nothing to prove but I will fight to win." - London marathon 27th April 2025
Staying at the top is about continuous Inward looking journey to excellence says Kipchoge.
“Go for training. Take internal shower. Stay away from your smart phone. Meditate to energise”.
These are some of the posters that are displayed in Kipchoge’s training camp.
“Taking an internal shower is not a physical shower but more like a self-appraisal of your workout and your performance in training”.
Kipchoge has repeatedly emphasized the importance of believing in oneself, stating that the mind is the athlete's most powerful tool. He taps into a reservoir of mental resilience that helps him overcome challenges and push through moments of fatigue and doubt.
“It's tough being at the top… You need to have the sixth sense in order for you to stay at the top” says Kipchoge on mind control.
Success and failure are part of Kipchoge’s life. He has taken them in his stride.
“The road has been a bit bumpy, but we need to keep strong. I am learning how to handle the setbacks. A huge setback comes with huge repercussions and everything,” on his fourth marathon loss.
“Defeat is important for me in that I will learn more. I will learn how to handle the negative part.”“It’s not about the legs; it’s about the heart and the mind.”
“Be humble in success and failure is part of the challenge.
What you need is Meditative state in all your actions.
If you train your mind on something, you will achieve it” advises Kipchoge on having a balanced mind.
Eliud Kipchoge - The Karma Yogi
Though Kipchoge is not a Vedantin, his life and attitude reflect deep Vedantic values:
Chitta Suddhi (purity of mind),
Samatvam (equanimity) and
Vairagya (dispassion).
We can view him as a karmayogi par excellence, and through his disciplined lifestyle, we can metaphorically align his inner journey with that of a Seeker of Truth. We will first try to understand these three values from Vedanta and rhen relate them to Kipchoge.
Vairagya - Dispassion
In Vedantic parlance, Vairagya is a fundamental concept , and refers to dispassion, detachment, or non-attachment—the state of being free from desire for sense pleasures or worldly attainments, including even heavenly enjoyments. Vairagya is not aversion or renunciation born out of frustration, but a mature disinterest born of discrimination (viveka) and understanding of the transient nature of all phenomenal existence. In Vivekachudamani, Verse 19. Adi Sankara defines vairagya as:
“iha-amutra phala-bhoga-virāgaḥ vairāgyam” – “Dispassion is the disinterest in the enjoyments of this world and the next.”
Kipchoge’s life exemplifies vairagya in multiple ways. He lives in a training camp dormitory with fellow runners, even though he could easily afford luxury. He deliberately avoids unnecessary indulgence. He stresses on being humble. If we analyse these actions along with his Quotes above, one can see the real life example of high thinking and simple living, a basic requirement for developing Vairagya.
He once said, “Only the disciplined ones are free in life.”
That’s classic vairagya—not being enslaved by impulses or rewards. After setbacks, such as his 8th place finish in the London Marathon 2020, he remained unaffected and returned stronger, showing that his identity is not bound to success.
Chitta Suddhi - Purity of Mind
Chitta Suddhi refers to the purification of the mind or inner instrument (antahkarana) from impurities such as kāma (desire), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (delusion), mada (pride), and mātsarya (jealousy). It is a prerequisite in Vedanta for Self-realization (Atma Jnana) because only a pure, calm, and steady mind can reflect the knowledge of the Self, like a still lake reflects the moon clearly.
The Bhagavad Gita elaborates on chitta shuddhi both directly and indirectly, especially in the context of karma yoga, sattva guna, and selfless action.
Our “Prasthana Traya” (Upanishads, Bhagwad Gita and Brahma Sutra) stresses the importance of decluttering and purification of mind. For example,
“Kāyena manasā buddhyā kevalair indriyair api,
Yoginaḥ karma kurvanti saṅgaṁ tyaktvātma-śuddhaye”
“Yogis perform action with body, mind, and intellect, giving up attachment, for the purification of the self ” says Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita (5.11). Here, atma-shuddhi is practically synonymous with chitta shuddhi. Actions done without attachment purify the mind. Similarly in Sloka 3.19, He says,
“Tasmād asaktaḥ satataṁ kāryaṁ karma samācara
Asakto hy ācaran karma param āpnoti pūruṣaḥ”
Therefore, perform your duty without attachment. Such action leads to the Supreme. Non-attachment and duty are key elements of chitta shuddhi.
The globally read Thirukural emphasises this in the beginning itself “ அனைத்து அறன், மனத்துக்கண் மாசிலன் ஆதல்,” stating that the very purpose of Karma Yoga is to get the mind purified; Karma yoga becomes the means for Chitta Suddhi.
Samatvam - Balanced mind
How do we express Chitta Suddhi or in other words how does one know that he has attained Chitta Suddhi? Again Bhagavad Gita provides the answer in Sloka 14.6.
“Tat-sattvaṁ nirmalatvāt prakāśakam anāmayam…” - “Sattva is pure, luminous, and free from impurity.”
Cultivating sattva guna—clarity, calmness, balance—is the psychological expression of chitta shuddhi. Samatvam is both:
A symptom of chitta shuddhi (purification of the mind), and
A means to further purify and stabilize the mind.
Chitta Shuddhi removes rāga-dveṣa (likes and dislikes), and as these dissolve, samatvam arises naturally. A purified mind becomes equanimous—undisturbed by success or failure, gain or loss, pleasure or pain. Conversely, cultivating samatvam intentionally (through karma yoga and viveka) further refines and purifies the mind. Thus, samatvam and chitta shuddhi are in a mutually reinforcing loop on the path of sadhana.
The Bhagavad Gita speaks most directly and deeply about samatvam:
The classic verse 2.48
“Yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā dhanañjaya,
Siddhi-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṁ yoga ucyate”
“Established in yoga, perform actions, O Arjuna, abandoning attachment, being the same in success and failure. Samatvam is called yoga.”
This verse explicitly defines samatvam as yoga itself. The evenness of mind in the face of opposites is the core discipline of karma yoga.
Verses 5.18, 19 states
“Vidya-vinaya-sampanne… śunī caiva śva-pāke ca…
Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ”
“The wise see with equal vision a brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater.” Here, samatvam evolves into sama-darshana—equal vision of the Self in all beings, which is both a fruit of chitta shuddhi and a sign of Self-realization.
Bhagavad Gita Verse 6.7 illustrates samatvam as the natural state of a jñāni—the result of inner mastery and realization.uta
“Jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu tathā mānāpamānayoḥ”
“For one who has conquered the mind and is serene, the Supreme Self is revealed. He is equal in heat and cold, pleasure and pain, honor and dishonor.”
Kipchoge’s interviews, demeanor, and race conduct reflect “chitta suddhi”, an uncluttered pure mind with “samatvam” the inner steadiness:
In competition, Kipchoge’s expression before, during, and after races is uniform; —calm, smiling, peaceful, whether breaking 2 hours barrier or facing defeat.
When he crossed the finish line in the sub-2-hour INEOS challenge, he said: “I want to prove that no human is limited.” There was no chest-thumping. Just quiet joy and serenity.
Displaying exceptional emotional maturity, he once said, “Pain is nothing. It is the mind that tells you it hurts.” That is a samatva-bhava — not being dominated by the pairs of opposites (duḥkha-sukha, śīta-uṣṇa).
Summary
Kipchoge’s extraordinary calm, endurance, humility, and mastery reflect the Divine in action.
According to the Chapter 10 of Bhagavad Gita, such individuals are vibhutis (divine virtues). They inspire and remind us of the divine potential within every human being when aligned with focus, discipline, and purpose.
An attempt has been made to try and fit the virtues that Eliud Kipchage conveyed through his life and his expressions thereof as under:
Viveka – discernment - Chooses training over pleasure, simplicity over luxury
Vairagya – dispassion - No clinging to success, fame, or ease
Samatvam – equanimity - Emotionally even in all conditions
Shama–Dama – self-control -Unshakable focus, minimalist life
Mumukshutva – desire for truth - His vision: “Breaking limits”—seeking higher human possibility
Summing up, these “vibhutis” (divine virtues) truly displayed in life by Eliud Kipchage is in fact applicable to all the greatest Sports personalities who have excelled in their respective sports field. This can be verified through a study their Autobiographies.
“All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players”.
We play the game called life. The rules are set by the Ultimate Reality. In this game of life, should we not aim to become like Kipchoge through Viveka, Vairagya, Samatva, ShamaDhama, Mumukshutva?
That is the lesson that Vedas teach us.
That is the challenge that awaits all of us.
We will attempt to study another eminent individual of repute in our next Newsletter.
Until then…………
Take Care! God Bless!