Solomon Kipchoge has caused a heavy stir among the fans after his recent Mountain Region victory. The Kenyan athlete, who has a remarkable CV in long-distance running, has been a name that has kept the fans busy throughout 2024. Competing at the Semi Marathon de Lille 2023, Kipchoge clocked a personal best of 59:37. Such a record gives him the edge over the US athletes’ time in the half-marathon distance. 

As a matter of fact, the fastest time recorded by an American athlete is 59:43 by Ryan Hall. Cut to November 2024, Kipchoge is once again in the news. Running for Texas Tech, he secured a thumping victory at the NCAA DI Mountain Region recently. Despite the dominance of BYU, which had four of its athletes in the top 9, the Kenyan athlete looked invincible. Kipchoge clocked a time of 28:55.9, while New Mexico’s Samuel Habtom came in second with 28:59.2. 

Now, in any normal circumstances, such an impressive victory is usually celebrated by fans and critics alike. But on this occasion, there’s a swarm of controversy brewing up. Kipchoge has decided to finish his four years of college at the age of 28! Usually, the entry-level age at the NCAA is 18. And by the time a student-athlete finishes college, he/she is in the age range of 22-23. While this might be quite bizarre to look at in the first instance, Kipchoge is playing well within the rules. 

As per the NCAA, there are no age restrictions as to when an athlete can decide to enroll in college. Thus, pursuing a degree in agricultural education, Kipchoge decided to commit to Texas Tech. No sooner did the news go out, the college faced backlash for allowing such an experienced athlete to compete among the rookies. 

After all, Kipchoge will be enjoying a 10-year age gap every time he steps onto the field with his peers! And with his latest victory, things have only escalated. Instead of supporting the athlete, the fans immediately went off online, lashing out at both Kipchoge and the NCAA’s rule of no age restrictions.

Fans unhappy about Solomon Kipchoge’s ‘28-year-old Freshman’ status

After the results for the mountain region were out, fans immediately took to social media to express their discontent. One fan criticized the NCAA’s lack of an age limit for athletes, highlighting how it can lead to unfair competition. More so when older and refined athletes like 28-year-old Solomon Kipchoge face much younger and budding opponents. The fan drew parallels to college football and wrote, “NCAA needs an age limit man… even in football it’s ridiculous when we have 25 year old quarterbacks going up against 18 and 19 year olds”. 

The netizen sees this as a problematic situation in sports like track and field and football, where Kipchoge, already a world-class half-marathon runner, would compete against athletes a decade younger. This has been raising concerns about fairness and the integrity of the competition.

Another netizen does not seem to agree with the fact that an athlete at 28 can be referred to as a freshman competing alongside athletes way younger than him. Their comment reflected confusion over a 28-year-old competing as a freshman in the NCAA, where athletes are typically 18-23 years old. The commenter stated, “new to track as a spectator but… 28 y/o freshman?”. While the NCAA has no age limit, Kipchoge’s eligibility stems from delayed post-secondary education. Several fans find it unusual, given his world-class status and significant age gap compared to his peers.

Amid the debates and unsatisfied reactions, one Reddit user had a different take. They praised Solomon Kipchoge for his impressive performance in winning the Mountain Region meet, especially given his age and snowy conditions. Their comment read, “What an animal! Props to hold off Samuel. I thought for sure he had it in the bag! 🏃‍♂️💨”. The fan acknowledges Kipchoge’s strength and skill, calling him an “animal” for overcoming challenges that his age might have posed.

However, another fan immediately replied to the supporter in the comment section and criticized Solomon Kipchoge’s participation as a 28-year-old NCAA freshman. The user hinted at this practice as an unfair advantage over younger competitors, typically in their late teens or early 20s. The user blatantly stated, “He’s not an animal he’s a grown a** man running against teenagers and people in their early 20’s (and other grown men if you include BYU)” His maturity and elite running background, contrast with the NCAA’s developmental focus seems to give Kipchoge an added privilege according to several track enthusiasts.

One fan’s mocking comment highlights the unusual nature of a 28-year-old competing as a freshman in the NCAA, where most athletes are around 18-23 years old. They highlighted the phrase, “28 year old freshman”. Given Kipchoge’s world-class half-marathon credentials, the situation raises questions surrounding unfair eligibility criteria in the NCAA. Thus, with the controversy brewing up significantly, it remains to be seen how things pan out in the future.