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Kiptum's teammate has revealed that the fallen world marathon record holder contemplated dropping out of the Chicago Marathon completely last October before going on to make history.
Hillary Kipchumba, a friend and teammate of the fallen world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum, has revealed that the 24-year-old nearly quit the Chicago Marathon just a few weeks before he broke the record.
Kiptum, who was laid to rest in his farm in Elgeyo Marakwet on Friday, set the world record at 2:00:35 at the event and was targeting more glory in Rotterdam this year before tragically passing alongside his coach Gervais Hakizimana in a road accident on Sunday 11 February.
Now, Kipchumba, who met Kiptum in 2018 during the Eldoret Half Marathon before they formed a lasting friendship that was cut short by the tragedy, has revealed that he almost never set the record entirely.
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08:00 - 24.02.2024
ATHLETICS Athletics Kenya reveals how they plan to help Olympics marathon team cope with Kelvin Kiptum’s death
Athletics Kenya has explained the plans they have to ensure Kenya’s Olympics marathon team is not greatly affected by the untimely death of their colleague Kelvin Kiptum.
“Three weeks to Chicago Marathon, his body couldn’t respond any longer and he could not finish the training programme,” Kipchumba said as quoted by Nation Sport.
Kiptum’s body had been failing to react to training conditions which convinced him that he could not run and prompted him to tell his coach to make arrangements to get it canceled.
Fortunately, Kiptum’s body ceased letting him down at the eleventh hour.
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20:47 - 23.02.2024
ATHLETICS How durable will government-built home for Kelvin Kiptum stand?
Kenyans have been intrigued by the rapid, innovative construction of the late athlete Kelvin Kiptum's durable home, highlighting the technology involved.
“He would train until certain points and stop… he asked his coach to cancel the race but the coach told him to train until the last week so that they could contact the race director and thankfully, he adjusted to training once again.”
Less than six months on from his 2:01:25 London Marathon win, which saw him become the second-fastest marathon runner of all time, Kiptum would go on to improve by another 50 seconds to surpass the world record mark of 2:01:09 set by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin in 2022.
It was just the third marathon of his career, which began with a 2:01:53 debut in Valencia last December, Kiptum even had enough energy to celebrate his historic performance on the way to the finish line – pointing to the crowds and the tape on his approach.
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16:13 - 23.02.2024
ATHLETICS Elgeyo Marakwet Senator pleads with government to build a stadium in honour of Kelvin Kiptum
Elegeyo Marakwet Senator William Kisang has pleaded with the government to construct a stadium in honour of fallen marathon great Kelvin Kiptum.
Kiptum left behind his widow Asenath Rotich and two children, his seven-year-old son Caleb and four-year-old daughter Precious.
He was the only child of Samson Cheruiyot and Mary Kangogo.
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