Kelvin Kiptum: What to know about Kenyan marathon world record holder who died in car crash
Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum, the world record holder for the men’s marathon, tragically passed away in a car accident in his home country.
The incident occurred on Sunday in western Kenya, when Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana from Rwanda when the incident happened.
According to the police, Kiptum lost control of the vehicle, veered off-road, and collided with a large tree after driving for about 60 meters in a ditch. The collision caused the immediate deaths of Kiptum and Hakizimana, while a young woman in the car sustained serious injuries and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
1. Kelvin Kiptum was a Kenyan runner who tragically died in a car crash at the age of 24. He achieved athletic stardom when he broke the marathon world record in Chicago in October.
2. Kiptum was born in the Rift Valley, the heartland of Kenyan distance running, and grew up surrounded by elite athletes training in the high-altitude region.
3. In 2022, Kiptum made his marathon debut in Valencia and recorded a stunning time of 2:01:53, which was hailed as the fastest debut marathon in history by World Athletics.
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4. Less than a year later, in only his third marathon, Kiptum shattered the world record in Chicago by becoming the first man to run under two hours and one minute in a record-eligible race. His time of 2:00:35 surpassed the previous record set by Eliud Kipchoge by 34 seconds.
5. Kiptum was known for his grueling training schedule, which sometimes exceeded 300 kilometers (190 miles) a week. He maintained a dedicated focus on running, eating, and sleeping.
6. Kiptum was coached by Rwandan athlete Gervais Hakizimana, who also tragically died in the car crash. Hakizimana had discovered Kiptum while doing training sessions near his home village when Kiptum was just 13 years old.
Fellow athletes, including rival Eliud Kipchoge, expressed deep sadness over his untimely passing and acknowledged his great potential for achieving even greater accomplishments in the future.
