Written by RichardTheMutts
Finding Purpose in the Act of Creation
A few weeks ago, something incredible happened. Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha officially broke the 2-hour marathon barrier. It was celebration time. I jumped up and down. I shed some tears after seeing the news and clips. As I read reactions on social media, one question entered my mind. I paused. I had to pause in my celebrations as a fear sprang. The reactions were, of course, positive. But I could see something wrong ahead. And sadly, I ended up watching my fear being played out. It has led me to ask myself a question: “What is the point?”
Before I explain the fear, the reason why I asked myself this question, and why this matters for creatives (and people in general), let’s rewind. The sub-2-hour goal is not new. The marathon is one of the oldest sporting events in human history. And the more time passed, the more humans pushed limits. At the turn of the century, the world record for the marathon was 2:05:42, set by Khalid Khannouchi in 1999. For decades, the sub-2-hour marathon felt impossible. Then came Eliud Kipchoge.
After many accolades and records, Kipchoge no longer had anything to prove. But his desire to break limits expanded further. Many experts, scientists, and people did not believe that it was possible to go under the sub-2-hour time. Kipchoge already had a brand and reputation of success. The rational thing to do was to keep it intact. He still chose to take on the challenge to break that barrier. The same belief that animated him to go for his dream was pushing him to prove that there were no limits. And Kipchoge went for it.
With the help of Nike, Kipchoge began training and working to break that sub-2-hour “limit.” Nike spent their resources, from financial and intellectual resources, attention, time, and even on their own brand. They included science in the mix. They found and made progress on ways to produce running shoes. They studied how wind can affect Kipchoge in his run. They did what they could to ensure the barrier would be broken. But they failed. In the first attempt, Kipchoge did not break the sub-2-hour barrier. Again, the experts sang their doubts aloud.
However, neither Nike nor Kipchoge gave up. They had to find their greatness. And in this case, greatness had to be found in being persistent until the goal was reached. After their hard work, they did make it. Eliud Kipchoge was the first man to unofficially run a sub-2-hour marathon. It did not count as an official record because the conditions did not meet the criteria of a standard marathon. Still, the aftermath of the event was great.
Millions of people were inspired. Eliud Kipchoge has proven that there is no barrier. As the legend, and for me, the GOAT himself said, “I believe no human is limited.” And that phrase, “No human is limited,” since then, has been a cherished phrase for runners and non-runners alike. Eliud Kipchoge created, produced, and fostered belief in people. I was one of those people.
At the time, I was 15 years old. I wasn’t even really a runner. But Nike and Eliud Kipchoge’s effort made a huge impact on me. That was the point of the event: to prove that no human is limited. If Kipchoge could do it, I can do it too. It reinforced the Nike motto, “Just Do It.” Plus, the man himself expressed and looked forward to seeing another athlete break the record, officially, in normal conditions. Eliud Kipchoge retired in 2025. It was a bittersweet day for every appreciator of greatness in running. He left and still lives a great legacy.
Fortunately, there was a young man who came up. His name was Kelvin Kiptum. He was the most promising talent. He broke Kipchoge’s records. It was written in the stars that he would be the one who would run that sub-2-hour time officially. Sadly, a car accident robbed us of a bright future. Kelvin Kiptum died at the tender age of 24 on February 11, 2024. Many people did not believe, including myself, that we would see a runner capable of breaking that barrier anytime soon. However, the belief Kipchoge produced was still present. “No human is limited” still rang true.
Lo and behold, on April 26th, 2026, Sabastian Sawe became the fastest man to ever run a standard marathon. This exceptional athlete did it in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds. That is absolutely insane. That is one of the greatest human achievements of all time. Whether he will break his own record or not, what Sawe did will forever remain in history.
He did it in Adidas shoes. “Why would the shoes he wore matter?” You might ask. My non-runner readers might ask. First, runners love them some running shoes. Secondly, the thing is, humans find a way to pull someone down when another is up. And that was the fear I had.
I feared that after Sabastian Sawe’s wonderful achievement, there would be people belittling Nike and Eliud Kipchoge’s past achievements. Critics often use the new and better to invalidate the pioneer. Progress doesn’t erase the inspiration that preceded it. Fortunately, Nike and Eliud Kipchoge were class acts, especially the legend himself. As he wrote in his Instagram post, “My deepest congratulations to both Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha … Let this achievement inspire the next generation and remind everyone in the world that No Human Is Limited.” Wonderful words said.
But somehow, some people couldn’t resist gaining something out of minimizing Nike and Kipchoge’s past efforts. Instead of applauding the great milestone humanity has finally reached, they were fixated on how Nike and Kipchoge “failed” and Adidas and Sawe “won.” I won’t address those comments in this piece. I do not want to fixate on negativity. However, their comments stirred that question in my mind, “What is the point?”
Of course, Nike is a corporation. Their main goal is to stay in business. Nike benefits from athletes’ achievements in Nike attire to highlight the products. With that said, I still paused and reflected on what Nike and Kipchoge’s point was. As much as Nike wanted to market their brand, they made a big gamble. And as much as Nike and Eliud Kipchoge were believers in “No human is limited,” they knew that the legend was getting older. They knew that, eventually, there could be someone who would break the sub-2-hour barrier officially. And yes, as much as Nike can be good at picking the right athlete, there was still the possibility that a non-Nike athlete could be the one to officially do it.
Still, Nike and Eliud Kipchoge had another strong reason why they did the Breaking2 experiment. Whether we like it or not, they truly wanted to break that barrier. They knew what that would do to people around the world. The point was, if Kipchoge made it, that psychological limiting belief would be shattered. Somewhere, there would be a human who would say, “I will break that record, officially.” They were successful. 6 years later, Sabastian Sawe was clearly not limited.
What does that have to do with you and me? Well, even as creatives, no matter your craft or domain of work, we all have values we hold dear. For Nike, their brand’s value is to push higher and take action. The athletes they sponsor, and the events they sponsor, have demonstrated them. Nike is certainly not perfect. However, the people behind it are still people, just like us. And they have had and have the courage to demonstrate their point through their work.
It is a challenging thing to ask yourself, “What is the point?” It is hard to even find an answer. Especially in hard times, it is easier to opt for the more comfortable route. Why risk embarrassment? What if it does not work out? Heck, what if even my success now can be used against me in the future? (such as in Nike and Kipchoge’s case) What if it will mean nothing later? Those are reasonable questions to ask yourself. Doubts and fear are things every human has dealt with. And it can be disheartening.
It could be true that people will forget the Breaking2 event after Sabastian Sawe’s prowess. It could be true that Eliud Kipchoge might no longer be the greatest marathon runner of all time. It could be true that all his records and accolades will be surpassed. Still, his impact will live on. His “No Human is Limited” motto will live on and will be passed on generation after generation. Just as much as I was inspired by Kipchoge’s achievement on October 12, 2019, in Vienna, another kid would be inspired by me living out that inspiration. It is a continuous domino effect. And it all started because one chose to express his point.
When it comes to creativity, the main point is and starts with creation. In creativity, the act of creation is where the purpose is found. The effort, execution, and expression itself involved in creating all give that purpose form. It doesn’t necessarily need to be grandiose. It does not need to be inspiring. And yes, it does not need to be what most would consider life-changing. In one way or another, the creation will serve a purpose. It will start with you and move on to another human being.
As cliché as it sounds, it’s not about the numbers. The “Everyday Life” album by Coldplay doesn’t have the number of streams and sales as other Coldplay albums. Also, it’s not as well-known as the others. Yet, in the album, there is this amazing song, “Champion of the World.” For the past five weeks, I’ve played the song almost every day. Somewhere along the way, it found me exactly when I needed it. There are many “feel-good” songs out there. But “Champion of the World” expressed accurately the feelings and emotions I was dealing with. It dealt with the paradoxical state of having doubt and desire to abandon while still holding on to unrealistic optimism and hope. And that has been an immense source of encouragement.
On Spotify, the song has less than 100 million streams. But to me, it doesn’t matter. I am grateful for its existence, and thankful Coldplay released the song. Would it be nice if it had great sales? Of course. Would it be great if it broke all music records? No doubt. Still, it reached those it needed to reach and comforted them.
We all have “a point.”
We possess small or big things that abide in our hearts. We all have an action and creation we desire, and sometimes yearn, to bring forth. And when we witness reality, we hesitate. We hinder ourselves from moving forward. But as Kipchoge, Nike, Sawe, Adidas, Coldplay, and many others have proved, it is always worth the try. No, not the try, but the doing (Yoda would smile at that). Whether you “succeed” or “fail” in the short-term or long-term, the very action is the win. To create is to be creative. The action you take to express your point is the triumph. And that triumph is one worth sharing.
***Article taken from RichardTheMutt’s newsletter from May 9, 2026. Read his newsletter here for inspiring links***.