Car Crash Claims Life of Kenya’s Record-Breaking Marathoner Kelvin Kiptum
Gitablogsport.com - Kenya's world record-breaking marathon runner, Kelvin Kiptum, has passed away in a tragic car accident.
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| (image source : marca.com) |
The athletic community was shocked by the passing of a 24-year-old individual who was driving in western Kenya on Sunday evening when their vehicle overturned.
According to a local police officer, the vehicle veered out of control, resulting in the tragic deaths of the talented runner, Kiptum, and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, who were both killed instantly. A female passenger, who suffered injuries, was promptly taken to the hospital for treatment.
In October, Kiptum made a big impact on the marathon scene with his record-breaking time of 2:00:35 in Chicago. This was an impressive 34 seconds faster than Eliud Kipchoge's previous record, also from Kenya.
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| (image source : CNN) |
At the time, he was only 23 years old and participating in his third marathon. Kiptum had also emerged victorious in his first two races, namely his debut in Valencia in 2022 and a subsequent one in London the following year.
On April 14, the Kenyan runner made an announcement that he would strive to achieve a historic feat by becoming the first person to officially complete a marathon in under two hours in Rotterdam.
Kiptum was heavily favored to secure the top spot at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris.