The running world is deeply saddened following the death of Kelvin Kiptum. The 24-year-old marathon world record holder died after a road accident in Kenya. Not only Kiptum, but also his coach Gervais Hakizimana died because of the crash.
Kiptum was behind the wheel himself when his car, containing two other occupants, went off the road between Paktaget and Eldoret, Kenya, and eventually crashed into a tree. Kiptum and Hakizimana did not survive the accident; a third occupant sustained serious injuries. This was announced by Kenya’s Sports Minister.
Kiptum was considered one of the greatest talents, if not the greatest talent within the world of marathon running. He did not make his debut until 2022, but broke Kipchoge’s world record in October when he clocked 2:00:35 in Chicago. He also won the marathons in Valencia (2022) and London (2023). In two months, Kiptum would start in Rotterdam to attack his own world record.
