The sudden and tragic death of reigning world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum and his Rwandese coach Garvis Hakizimana has plunged the world into mourning.
According to police reports, the fatal road accident occurred around 11 pm at the Kaptagat area along the Elgeyo Marakwet-Ravine road, where both Kiptum and Hakizimana lost their lives due to the impact of the accident.
Kiptum rose to prominence in the athletics world after achieving the fastest marathon debut in Valencia in 2022. The 24-year-old’s star continued to ascend in 2023 when he claimed victory in the London Marathon, setting a course record of 2:01:25 in April.
However, it was in October that Kiptum truly made headlines by breaking the men’s world record with a remarkable time of 2:00:35. His achievement made him the first man to complete a marathon in under two hours and one minute, surpassing fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge’s previous record by 34 seconds.
Kiptum’s world marathon record was ratified by the international track federation World Athletics just last week. He was preparing to kick off his new season at the Rotterdam Marathon on April 14 and had plans to represent Kenya at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe expressed shock and deep sadness over the loss, tweeting: “We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the devastating loss of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana. On behalf of all World Athletics, we send our deepest condolences to their families, friends, teammates, and the Kenyan nation.”
Coe also reflected on the recent ratification of Kiptum’s record in Chicago, stating, “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.”
