Tragedy in the World Athletics, Kiptum dies
Kelvin Kiptum, the Kenyan who set the marathon world record, has passed away, leaving the track and field community in mourning.
It has been reported that Kelvin Kiptum, the world record holder for the marathon, passed away at 24. He was a Kenyan athlete who had made a name for himself in the long-distance running world in recent years. Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana from Rwanda, are said to have died in a traffic accident on Monday.
It is with great sadness that we have to announce the Marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum has sadly passed away in a traffic accident, along with his coach Rwanda’s Gervais Hakiziman, confirmed by Kiptum’s family.
— TRACKSTAA (@trackstaa_) February 11, 2024
Via @StandardKenya pic.twitter.com/RX7yce7cyD
Kiptum had previously achieved the impressive feat of clocking a time of two hours and one minute for the marathon twice in 2022 and 2023. However, he surpassed the world record set by iconic Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge by completing the 2023 Chicago Marathon in just 2 hours and 35 seconds. Kipchoge’s previous world record had been 2 hours and 1.09 seconds.
Kiptum’s rise to fame in the marathon world and Kipchoge’s continued success in his late 30s had set up a long-awaited-for marathon at the Paris Olympics. However, tragically, Kiptum’s untimely death has cut short what could have been a historic moment in the sport.