Eliud Kipchoge now wears the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2. After four years as a COROS ambassador, the greatest marathon runner of his generation parted ways with the Shenzhen-based brand in November 2025 and signed with Huawei in early 2026. His first confirmed race appearance in the Huawei watch was at the Porto Alegre Marathon in Brazil in July 2026, where Huawei publicly confirmed the partnership and the specific model he wears.
What Watch Is Kipchoge Wearing in 2026?
Since early 2026, Kipchoge has been wearing the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2. Huawei confirmed he was wearing the watch at the Porto Alegre Marathon in July 2026, where he won the race. Reports from the Melbourne Marathon later in 2026, where Kipchoge set a new course record of 2:09:10, also pointed to the GT Runner 2, consistent with the confirmed sponsorship deal.
The Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 is a dedicated performance running watch, positioned above Huawei’s mainstream health trackers. It is thinner and lighter than most GPS running watches at this price point, with a focus on running-specific metrics rather than the broader smartwatch feature set. At the time of Kipchoge’s ambassador announcement, it was Huawei’s flagship wrist-based product for endurance athletes.
One important note for readers in the United States: the GT Runner 2 cannot be purchased through US retailers. This is not a matter of limited distribution â it is a consequence of US government restrictions on Huawei hardware sales in the American market. Runners in the UK and Europe will find it without difficulty, but US-based fans cannot simply go online and buy the watch Kipchoge wears.
The Switch: Why Kipchoge Left COROS for Huawei
Kipchoge’s formal departure from COROS was announced on 21 November 2025. The statement from both sides was brief â a mutual acknowledgment that the partnership was ending without a detailed public explanation. No controversy was involved; brand endorsement deals in professional running typically run for fixed terms, and this one had reached its conclusion.
The timing is worth noting. COROS has built its reputation primarily in the running and ultra-endurance market, and Kipchoge’s four years with the brand coincided with a period of significant growth for COROS, particularly in the North American market. His departure followed Kelvin Kiptum’s world record-breaking run at the Chicago Marathon in 2023 â where Kiptum wore a Garmin â and the broader question of which watch brand would become the standard bearer for elite marathon performance.
Huawei, by contrast, has strong market share in China and Europe but no meaningful US presence due to trade restrictions. Signing Kipchoge is part of a push to establish the Watch GT Runner 2 as a serious elite running tool, particularly in markets where Huawei hardware is available. The deal was confirmed in January 2026 and officially announced on 26 February 2026.
Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: Specs and What Independent Testing Found
The GT Runner 2 arrives with a focused feature set built around running performance. Here are the full specifications:
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Case diameter | 43.5 mm |
| Case thickness | 10.7 mm |
| Weight (strap removed) | 43.5 g |
| Display | AMOLED with Kunlun glass, 3,000 nits peak brightness |
| GPS | Dual-band (L1 + L5) |
| GPS battery (Huawei claim) | Up to 32 hours |
| GPS battery (independent testing) | Approximately 17 hours (DC Rainmaker) |
| Water resistance | Free-diving rated to 40 m |
| Key running features | Running power, lactate threshold estimate, marathon training mode |
| Payments | NFC contactless |
| Price at launch | About £350 (UK) / â¬400 (Europe). Not sold in the US. |
The gap between the official and real-world GPS battery life is worth flagging. Huawei advertised the GT Runner 2 as offering 32 hours of GPS recording time, with marketing that claimed it was “20% more accurate” than its predecessor. DC Rainmaker’s independent review found that the real-world GPS battery life ran closer to 17 hours, and that the accuracy improvements in Huawei’s marketing did not hold up consistently in head-to-head GPS testing against comparable watches from Garmin and COROS. That is still a usable GPS watch for most marathon runners, but the headline figures should be treated with the usual caution applied to manufacturer claims.
At Kipchoge’s level, GPS accuracy is ultimately irrelevant to performance: official marathon results are recorded by chip timing, not wristwatches. What matters to him is battery life across long training blocks, heart rate monitoring, and the brand alignment that comes with the sponsorship. The GT Runner 2 delivers on all of those without issue.
Where to buy
Compare the same watch on both sites: eBay for pre-owned and vintage pieces, Amazon for new stock.
Prices and availability change; check the listing before you buy.
Kipchoge’s COROS Years: 2021 to 2025
Before Huawei, Kipchoge spent four years with COROS â a partnership that helped elevate the brand into serious contention against Garmin in the elite running segment. The deal began in 2021, coinciding with Kipchoge’s gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, and ran through some of the most closely watched races in marathon history.
During the COROS years, he wore the Pace 2 and later transitioned to the Pace 3 as the product line was updated. The relationship culminated in a limited-edition co-designed piece, the COROS Pace 3 Kipchoge Edition, launched alongside the standard Pace 3. The special version featured a Kenyan-inspired nylon strap in black with red and green accent buttons, mirroring the colours of the Kenyan flag. It was produced in a run of under 2,000 units, priced at $249, and sold out quickly. The underlying hardware was identical to the standard Pace 3: 30 g, dual-frequency GPS, and 38 hours of GPS battery life. The Kipchoge Edition is now discontinued; units occasionally appear on the secondary market above their original retail price.
One frequently asked question is whether Kipchoge set his marathon world record of 2:01:09 while wearing a COROS. The answer is no. That record was set at the Berlin Marathon in September 2019, before his COROS deal began. It was later broken at Chicago in October 2023 by Kelvin Kiptum (2:00:35), who was wearing a Garmin. As of late 2026, Kipchoge had not reclaimed the world record, though his 2026 Melbourne course record of 2:09:10 represents a strong return to form after a difficult Paris 2024 Olympics, where he placed tenth.
What Should Runners Actually Buy?
If you’re in the United States, the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 is not an option. This is not a soft recommendation to look elsewhere â the watch genuinely cannot be purchased from any US-authorised retailer, and the GPS performance noted in independent reviews means it would need to outperform its competition to justify the workaround.
For US-based marathon runners looking for a watch at a similar price point with strong running metrics, the Garmin Forerunner 265 (around $450) is the most direct comparable. It has a proven GPS track record, excellent integration with Garmin’s training ecosystem, and widespread availability. The COROS Pace 3 ($229) is a lighter, more affordable option that offers more GPS battery life than the GT Runner 2 at a lower price â the same platform Kipchoge relied on for four years.
For UK and European runners, the GT Runner 2 at £350/â¬400 is competitive in the mid-range GPS market, with the caveat on GPS accuracy noted above. It makes most sense for runners who prefer the Huawei ecosystem or who want a thinner profile than what Garmin and COROS offer.
For a full comparison of what professional marathon runners actually race with â across brands and price points â see our guide to the best running watches for marathon training. If the COROS-versus-Garmin question is on your mind, we cover the elite-level comparison in detail in COROS vs Garmin: Which Watch Do Pro Runners Choose?
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Kipchoge stop wearing COROS?
Eliud Kipchoge’s COROS partnership ended on 21 November 2025. Both Kipchoge and COROS confirmed the end of the deal at that time. He signed with Huawei in January 2026 and was officially named a global Huawei ambassador on 26 February 2026.
What watch did Kipchoge wear at the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Kipchoge was still under his COROS sponsorship during the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he placed tenth â a disappointing result by his standards. He would have been wearing a COROS model, most likely the Pace 3, though no specific model was confirmed by either party for that race.
Can US runners buy the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2?
No. US government restrictions on Huawei hardware mean the GT Runner 2 is not sold by US-authorised retailers. Runners in the UK and Europe can buy it through Huawei’s online store and third-party retailers at approximately £350 / â¬400. There is no US equivalent in Huawei’s watch range.
Did Kipchoge set his world record wearing a Huawei watch?
No. His former marathon world record of 2:01:09 was set at the 2019 Berlin Marathon, two years before his COROS partnership began and seven years before his Huawei deal. That record was broken in 2023 by Kelvin Kiptum at Chicago (2:00:35), who was wearing a Garmin Forerunner 965.
How many marathons has Eliud Kipchoge won?
Kipchoge has won 17 official marathon races across his professional career, including multiple wins at London, Berlin, Tokyo, and Chicago, plus the Tokyo Olympics gold medal. This figure does not include the Breaking2 (2017) or Ineos 1:59 (2019) challenge runs, which were not contested under standard World Athletics conditions.
Sources
- Gadgets & Wearables: Eliud Kipchoge confirmed as Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 ambassador (2026)
- DC Rainmaker: Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 in-depth review
- Watches Reviewed: Kipchoge switches from COROS to Huawei (2025)
- Huawei: Watch GT Runner 2 official product page