Nairobi — Two-time Olympics marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge has taken a step closer to a hattrick of titles at the quadrennial games after he was named in the men's team for this year's edition in Paris.

Kipchoge won gold in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro as well as in 2021 in Tokyo and will be keen to write his name in history books as the first athlete to win three successive Olympics marathon titles.

The former world record holder will be looking to get over the disappointment of his last race - the Tokyo Marathon - where he finished tenth.

Joining Kipchoge in Team Kenya is Tokyo Marathon champion Benson Kipruto, the 2022 Abu Dhabi Marathon champion Timothy Kiplagat, the 2022 Madrid Marathon champion Vincent Ngetich and the 2023 Prague Marathon champion Alexander Munyao.

Kipruto has been proven himself a serial winner, having also clinched the Boston Marathon (2021), Chicago Marathon (2022) and Prague Marathon (2021).

He clocked 2:02:16 to win his latest race - the Tokyo Marathon - in which Kipchoge had an outing to forget after finishing tenth.

In the same race, 30-year-old Kiplagat came second after timing 2:02:55 as Ngetich came third in 2:04:18.

Repeating this feat at the Olympics will indeed be the stuff of dreams-come-true for the trio.

Munyao has been there and done that, having competed in road races at the top level for a number of years.

The 27-year-old started out in track and field where he won bronze in the men's 3000m at the 2013 World Youth Championships in Donetsk.

However, much of his success has come on the road where he has won several races including Santa Pola Half Marathon (2020), Kagawe Murume Half Marathon (2023) and Prague Marathon (2023).

He also came second at the 2022 Valencia Marathon where the world was introduced to one of the best male marathoners in recent history - Kelvin Kiptum - who clocked the fastest time ever by a marathon debutant.