Obituary: Kelvin Kiptum, marathon world record holder, has died

Kelvin Kiptum has died. The terrible news emerged on the evening of 11 February. He was 24. He died in a car crash in Kenya, which also claimed the life of his coach, Garvais Hakizaman. The Kenyan made history on 08 October 2023 when he broke the marathon world record with a time of 2 h 00 minutes and 35 seconds, beating Eliud Kipchoge's 2h01:09, set on 25 September 2022. He also held the third and sixth fastest times in history. Kiptum's goal was to become the first man in history to run under two hours. As soon as news of his death broke, tributes poured in.

"We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the devastating loss of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana," said World Athletics president Sebastian Coe. "On behalf of World Athletics, we extend our sincerest condolences to their families, friends, teammates and the Kenyan nation." In a cruel twist of fate, Coe admitted that Kiptum's world record had only been ratified at the start of the week.

https://twitter.com/RMCInfo/status/1756938352534663192

A legendary rise

Kelvin Kiptum blazed through his era like a meteor, as fleeting as he was remarkable. He made his marathon debut in December 2022 in Valencia, and against all expectations he won the race in 2:01:53. Questions were raised, and while some thought it was a fluke, he did it again a few months later, winning the London Marathon on 23 April 2023 and, in doing so, posting the second-fastest performance of all time at that point (2:01:25), just 16 seconds off Eliud Kipchoge's world record. Kipchoge was starting to feel his compatriot breathing down his neck.

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And as if it were written in the stars, less than six months later Kelvin Kiptum smashed the world record with 2:00:35, leaving Kipchoge 34 seconds behind him. Never had a marathon career begun like it. Known as the "Cheetah", he was preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. His showdown with Eliud Kipchoge was the talk of the sport. Sadly, that legendary clash will never take place, as the 24-year-old has been cut down in his prime. Above all, there is a sense that Kenya and Africa have just lost one of their greatest ambassadors. The tributes that have flooded in since Sunday are a measure of the tragedy that has occurred. We can only hope his family will find comfort in this outpouring of solidarity and compassion.