Multiple points here:
1) This should resonate with everyone in terms of the marketing this has generated for our sport. I finished undergrad in the US 4 years ago (27...used my redshirt year athletically), and received texts from 4 different people I knew back from college asking me if I had heard the news about the sub 2 marathon. All 4 of these people have collectively run LESS than a marathon in the past year. They have never been competitive runners in their lives, but were friends of mine in college outside of the track and field team. This has brought attention to our sport in all major news outlets in a very positive way, and people are paying attention outside of the sport.
2) This was good for fans within the sport. This attempt has stimulated emotion and debate within the sport. We have people rallying behind Kipchoge, and we have people rallying behind Bekele/the rest of the pool of athletes that want to achieve this in a non aided environment. There is now more attention being invested in these two athletes from the fan base in this sport, and there are likely very few ambivalent fans toward this rivalry. This attempt has sparked polarizing views that will have left some also seeing Kipchoge as somewhat narcissistic in nature after the race. At the end of it all, very few are in the middle between Bekele and Kipchoge.
3) Tokyo is now set up to be arguably the greatest head to head battle in a marathon race ever. If both athletes arrive healthy, there will be a lot of emotions going into this, but I would have to bet Bekele is more motivated, and maybe feels somewhat slighted by this event.