Kelvin Kiptum, marathon world record holder, killed in road accident in Kenya

Marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, big favorite for the Olympic title in the discipline at the Paris Games this summer, died in a road accident in central Kenya on Sunday February 11, at the age 24 years old.

“The accident happened around 11 p.m. (9 p.m. in Paris). The car had three occupants. Two died instantly while one was taken to hospital.Elgeyo Marakwet County Commander Peter Mulinge told reporters, confirming that ” both [morts] are Kiptum and his trainer »Gervais Hakizimana.

“It was Kiptum who was driving towards Eldoret and [il] lost control [du véhicule] (…), killing both on the spot. A female passenger was injured and rushed to hospital »he added.

“An extraordinary athlete who leaves an extraordinary legacy”

Kiptum made a thunderous irruption into the marathon world, breaking the world record for the discipline in Chicago in October (2:00:35), beating the time of his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge by 34 seconds for the third marathon. of his career only. The Kenyan announced that he would attempt to become the first man to run an official marathon in less than two hours in Rotterdam on April 14.

Kiptum lost his life not far from his training routes and his original village of Chepkorio, about forty kilometers from Eldoret, in the Rift Valley, a mecca for Kenyan long-distance running. He was trained by Rwandan Gervais Hakizimana, who had met Kiptum during his training stays in Kenya.

“We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the death of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana”commented Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, the international athletics federation, welcoming in a press release “an extraordinary athlete who leaves an extraordinary legacy.” “We will miss him”he concludes.

Kenyan athletics in mourning again

“It’s a huge loss”declared Kenyan double Olympic champion (2012, 2016) in the 800m David Rudisha, saying “shocked and deeply saddened” in a message on the social network. The Kenyan Athletics Federation also expressed its “deep sadness”and the organizing company of the six major marathons (Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin, London, Tokyo) said “devastated by the news”, in messages on.

This death recalls the brutal death of another great Kenyan marathon runner, Samuel Wanjiru, at the same age, in 2011, almost three years after his Olympic title at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. The police concluded it was murder, claiming that the athlete had fallen from a balcony before being hit in the head with a ” blunt object “.

Kenyan athletics was also mourned in October 2021 by the murder of one of its long-distance running hopes Agnes Tirop, found stabbed at the age of 25 in her house in Iten, not far from Eldoret. Her husband is being prosecuted for murder.