Kelvin Kiptum, the Kenyan marathon world record holder, tragically passed away in a car accident in western Kenya on Sunday.
The 24-year-old athlete, along with his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, lost their lives in the crash.
Kiptum made history by completing the marathon in an astonishing time of two hours and 35 seconds in Chicago last October.
In the past year, he has engaged in a fierce competition with the renowned marathon runner and fellow countryman, Eliud Kipchoge, after achieving great success in 2023.
Both Kiptum and Kipchoge were selected to represent Kenya at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games during the summer.
Paying homage to the unfortunate incident, Kenya’s sports minister, Ababu Namwamba, was among the first to express his condolences.
He wrote, “Devastatingly sickening!! Kenya has lost a special gem. Lost for words.”
Kenya’s ex-prime minister, Raila Odinga, expressed that the nation has suffered the loss of a heroic figure.
Meanwhile, Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, acknowledged Kiptum’s departure as leaving behind a remarkable legacy.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the devastating loss of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana,” Coe said in a statement.
“On behalf of all World Athletics, we send our deepest condolences to their families, friends, team-mates, and the Kenyan nation.
“It was only earlier this week in Chicago, the place where Kelvin set his extraordinary marathon world record, that I was able to officially ratify his historic time.
“An incredible athlete leaving an incredible legacy, we will miss him dearly.”
Kiptum’s team recently made an announcement that he is getting ready to participate in the Rotterdam Marathon.
His goal is to finish the race in less than two hours, a feat that has never been accomplished in open competition before.
Two years ago, Kiptum achieved the fourth-fastest time ever recorded in his first full-distance marathon, winning the race in Valencia with a time of 2:01:53.
In April 2023, he set a new course record at the London Marathon, crossing the finish line in 2:01:25.
His last competition was his remarkable performance in Chicago the previous year, where he surpassed Kipchoge’s achievement at the Berlin Marathon in 2022 by reducing the time by 34 seconds.
This made him the first runner to complete a record-eligible marathon in under 2 hours and 1 minute. Kiptum was renowned for his strategy of running with the rest of the group for approximately 30 kilometers before making a decisive break towards the finish line.
He was among the athletes who began their careers by participating in long-distance road races instead of track events, breaking away from the traditional approach followed by Kenyan runners.
