- Marathon world file holder Kelvin Kiptum, 24, has died aged 24 in Kenya
- He made historical past in October when he ran 2:00.35 to win the Chicago Marathon
Marathon world file holder Kelvin Kiptum has died on the age of 24 following a automobile crash in his native Kenya.
His coach, Rwanda‘s Gervais Hakizimana, was additionally killed within the highway accident close to Kaptagat, an space within the south-west of the nation famend as a coaching base for distance runners.
Kiptum made historical past in October when he clocked 2:00.35 to win the Chicago Marathon, smashing his fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge‘s world file by 34 seconds. His landmark time was solely formally ratified by World Athletics final Tuesday.
World Athletics president Seb Coe led the tributes to Kiptum on Sunday evening, saying he was ‘an unimaginable athlete leaving an unimaginable legacy’.
He wrote on X: ‘We’re shocked and deeply saddened to study of the devastating lack of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana.
‘On behalf of all World Athletics we ship our deepest condolences to their households, pals, teammates and the Kenyan nation.
‘It was solely earlier this week in Chicago, the place the place Kelvin set his extraordinary marathon world file, that I used to be in a position to formally ratify his historic time.
‘An unimaginable athlete leaving an unimaginable legacy, we are going to miss him dearly.’
Kiptum additionally received his first London Marathon final April in a course file of two:01.25, which was then the second quickest marathon time ever. It adopted an attention-grabbing victory on his marathon debut in Valencia in December 2022.
Kiptum would have been the favorite to win gold at this summer season’s Olympics in Paris, in what was set to be an almighty showdown in opposition to his team-mate Kipchoge, the 39-year-old two-time defending champion.
Raila Odinga, Kenya’s prime minister from 2008 to 2013, wrote on X: ‘Devastating information as we mourn the lack of a outstanding particular person, Kelvin Kiptum, World Report holder and Kenyan athletics icon. Collectively together with his coach, they tragically handed on in an accident tonight.
‘My deepest condolences to his family members, pals, and your entire athletics fraternity. Our nation grieves the profound lack of a real hero.’
Kenya’s minister for sports activities Ababu Namwamba wrote: ‘Devastatingly sickening! Kenya has misplaced a particular gem. Misplaced for phrases.’