In a tragic incident, Kenya’s marathon sensation, Kelvin Kiptum, met an untimely end in a fatal accident, marking the devastating loss of a rising star in the world of distance running.
Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum, the world record holder in men’s marathon at 24, tragically passed away in a road accident alongside his coach, Rwanda’s Gervais Hakizimana, on a road in western Kenya.
Kiptum rose to prominence in 2023 as a rival to his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge, one of the greatest marathon runners. In October of the same year, he surpassed Kipchoge’s feat by completing the 26.1 miles (42km) in two hours and 35 seconds in Chicago.
Both athletes were named in Kenya’s provisional marathon team for the upcoming Paris Olympics. Tributes poured in for Kiptum, with Kenyan Sports Minister Ababu Namwamba expressing deep sorrow, and Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga mourning the loss of a national hero and athletics icon.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe hailed Kiptum as an extraordinary athlete leaving behind a remarkable legacy.
The fatal accident occurred around 23:00 local time on Sunday, with Kiptum driving the vehicle. It lost control and rolled, claiming the lives of both Kiptum and his coach, while a third passenger, a female, sustained injuries.
Kiptum’s recent ambitions included an attempt to complete the distance in under two hours at the Rotterdam marathon. His journey to fame was rapid, having run his first full marathon in 2022 and rising from humble beginnings, competing in borrowed shoes due to financial constraints.
Kiptum told the BBC last year that his unusual choice was simply determined by a lack of resources.
“I had no money to travel to track sessions,” he explained.
He represented a new generation of Kenyan athletes who started their careers on the road, deviating from the traditional path of track running. Kiptum’s coach, Hakizimana, a retired Rwandan runner, played a pivotal role in his success, having mentored him since 2018, despite their initial encounters years earlier when Kiptum was just a young boy herding livestock barefooted.
“I knew him when he was a little boy, herding livestock barefooted,” Hakizimana recalled last year. “It was in 2009, I was training near his father’s farm, he’d come kicking at my heels and I would chase him away. Now, I am grateful to him for his achievement.”
Their story exemplifies determination, resourcefulness, and the power of mentorship in the world of athletics.
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