But the 38-year-old Kenyan phenomenon will arrive with doubts to assuage after finishing a troubled sixth at his first Boston Marathon in April, where he suffered from leg pain.

Speaking to the organising team’s magazine before this year’s race Kipchoge - who won the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 titles said: "Berlin is like home for me.

"In view of the Olympic Games next year in Paris, I thought about which race could be the best preparation for the Games for me and Berlin is the best option."

Kipchoge’s memories of the German capital could hardly be warmer. Running there last year he took a full 30 seconds off his own world record, set on the same course four years earlier, reducing it to 2hours 1min 9sec.

It was his fourth victory in Berlin following earlier triumphs in 2015, 2017 and 2018, bringing him level with that other fabled runner Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, who had four consecutive wins there from 2006 to 2009. Another record to go for today.

After his triumphant performance in Berlin last year Kipchoge had time to hug his trainer, friends, pose for photos, and wave the Kenyan flag before the second-place runner - fellow Kenyan Mark Korir - finished, four minutes and 49 seconds later.

"My legs and my body still feel young," Kipchoge said. "But the most important thing is my mind, and that also feels fresh and young. I'm so happy to break the world record."

He has on the horizon the goal of becoming the first athlete to win three Olympic marathon titles following his successes at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Games.

At the moment he stands equal with two other men in having won successive golds - Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila, who won the Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964 titles, and East Germany's Waldemar Cierpinski, who won gold at the Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980 Olympic Games.

But Kipchoge is returning to his maximum comfort zone with something to prove - or at least, to improve.

Should he falter, his compatriot Amos Kipruto, winner of last year’s London Marathon in impressive style and second-place finisher behind the Olympic champion at the 2018 Berlin Marathon, will be ready to take advantage.

Kipruto, who won world bronze in the crushing conditions of Doha four years ago, has a personal best of 2:03:13, set in finishing second - again to Kipchoge - at last year’s Tokyo Marathon.

Meanwhile the Ethiopian who produced a similar impact to Kipchoge in Berlin last year, Tigist Assefa, will also defend her title.

Assefa lowered her personal best by 18 minutes in the German capital as she won in 2:15:37 - a national record for the former 800m runner that was then the third fastest women’s time ever and is currently the fifth.

Her strongest opposition is likely to come from Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui, who last year won the Berlin Half Marathon and a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The 32-year-old Kenyan has a personal best of 2:17:29 set in Valencia last year.

But there are other talented contenders from Ethiopia involved in the race, notably the third, fourth and fifth fastest entrants, respectively Tigist Abayechew, who has run 2:18:03, Workenesh Edesa, who has clocked 2:18.51, and Hiwot Gebrekidan, who has a best of 2:19:10.

The aspect of the whole day could change, of course, should climate activists stage protests during the race.

Berlin race organisers have pleaded with the activists not to disrupt the event, although they have admitted they are prepared for “such eventualities”, AFP reports.