)
Kelvin Kiptum's death has left the whole world in utter shock and sadly, whatever was left of his extraordinary potential will now never be realised.
The sudden demise of world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum left the whole world in a state of disbelief and a profound sense of loss since he was just getting started in his marathon career.
The reigning London Marathon died alongside his coach, Rwanda's Gervais Hakizimana, following an accident along Elgeyo Marakwet-Ravine road when he reportedly lost control of his car before hitting a tree on Sunday night.
His loss has been felt worldwide, and it is unbearable pain for his wife, two young children, and his family at large.
)
09:00 - 13.02.2024
ATHLETICS Kelvin Kiptum's widow breaks silence after tragic loss of her husband
The late Kelvin Kiptum's wife, Asenath Cheruto has opened up on the kind of man her late husband was.
The reigning Chicago Marathon champion would be competing at the NN Rotterdam Marathon on April 14, where he would attempt the break the two-hour barrier. This would only be his fourth marathon. Sadly, whatever was left of his extraordinary potential will now never be realised.
Follow the Pulse Sports Kenya WhatsApp Channel for more news.
“I want to return here to run fast. This flat course lends itself to fast times and the enthusiastic masses of people along the road push us forward. I would like to be part of the rich history of this marathon.
“I’ll try at least to beat my world record here. I know I’m capable of doing that, if my preparation works out well and the conditions are OK. And in that case, I will get close to the two-hour barrier, so why not aim to break it? That might look ambitious, but I’m not afraid of setting this kind of goals. There’s no limit to human energy,” Kiptum said in a previous interview ahead of the NN Rotterdam Marathon.
Kiptum made his long-awaited full marathon debut at the 2022 Valencia Marathon where he stunned the whole world to take the crown in the fastest time a debutant has ever posted.
The 24-year-old clocked an impressive 2:01:53 and at the time, the whole world was not shaken by his talent.
“I didn’t expect to win, but I was very well prepared and I wanted to prove it,” Kiptum said during an interview after the race.
)
07:00 - 13.02.2024
ATHLETICS Gervais Hakizimana: Who is Kelvin Kiptum’s coach that died alongside the world marathon record holder?
Pulse Sports details everything you need to know about the Rwandan coach who was behind Kelvin Kiptum’s marathon success before they died together in a car crash on Sunday
Kiptum was then confirmed for the 2023 London Marathon where he would face off against a strong field that included Geoffrey Kamworor.
However, he proved to be in great form, destroying the strong field to claim the top prize. From the start of the race, Kiptum was literally sprinting and he was running his own race. Kamworor tried catching up but he couldn’t.
He clocked the now third fastest time, threatening Eliud Kipchoge’s world record time of 2:01:09. Kiptum clocked 2:01:25 to cut the tape in fashion.
“I’m very happy to run the second fastest time in history. My preparation was good, and I was very happy to race in London. The cheering gave me great motivation,” he said after the race.
The Kenyan did not stop at the London Marathon and he was later confirmed for the Chicago Marathon where he took over half a minute off the world record with his astonishing winning time of 2:00:35.
In running the first sub 2:01, Kiptum bettered by 34 seconds the 2:01:09 set by Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin, in September 2022, running ever closer to breaking the two-hour barrier in a legitimate race.
)
15:05 - 12.02.2024
ATHLETICS Government to honour Kelvin Kiptum with befitting send-off
The government will work closely with Kelvin Kiptum's family to ensure he is given a befitting send-off and honoured even in his death.
"I feel so happy. I was prepared. I knew I was coming for a course record, but fortunately [it was] a world record. A world record was not in my mind today, but I knew one time, one day I'd be a world record holder,” he said after that race.
His sudden death also ends that teasing possibility of going head-to-head with Kipchoge at the Olympic Games in Paris, France, where Kipchoge is looking to become the first athlete in history to win three successive Olympic marathon titles with Kiptum having been one of the athletes who would potentially stop him.
Kiptum’s story has unearthed the sad echoes of Samuel Wanjiru who, at age 21, became the first Kenyan to win the Olympic marathon in Beijing in 2008. Following that however Wanjiru’s life started to unravel and he died after falling from the roof of his house following a domestic dispute in May 2011, also aged 24.
Kenya has lost, the world has lost and we shall never get to see what Kiptum would have turned out to become.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)