Tragedy in the World Athletics, Kiptum dies

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.

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.