• Like this article Wilson Kipsang of Kenya was arrested for breaking the Kenyan government-issued curfew of 7 p.m. when he was caught in a nightclub in Iten, Kenya.
  • global spread of the coronavirus pandemic ordered to quarantine at home for 14 days and undergo a coronavirus test because he was mingling with others at the nightclub.

Kenya’s Wilson Kipsang, one of the biggest names in running, is now under mandatory quarantine.

On March 5, the 38-year-old Kipsang was ordered to isolate himself for 14 days after breaking the 7 p.m. curfew in Kenya, in place to slow the global spread of the coronavirus pandemic, according to The Star.

CBS Sports reported that the former marathon world-record holder was visiting a nightclub after curfew hours on April 2 in Iten, a Kenyan town renowned for producing top marathon talent, when the police arrived and arrested him along with around 20 other people in the nightclub.

“These are high-profile individuals who should be helping us in enforcement of the curfew,” Elgeyo Marakwet police commander John Mwinzi told Kenyan newspaper The Standard. “We are asking members of the public to stop abusing our reluctance to use full force during the enforcement of the curfew.”

For breaking his government’s strict curfew, Kipsang was charged in court and fined 5,000 Kenyan shillings (the equivalent of about £38), The Star reported. In addition to a quarantine, the runner must undergo a COVID-19 test, since he violated the country’s social distancing guidelines by gathering with a group at the bar.

“Your [honour], I am very sorry for the offence,” Kipsang told the Kenyan magistrate, according to The Star.

Kipsang has collected several accolades over his stunning running career, including a bronze medal in the marathon at the 2012 London Olympics as well as victories at the London Marathon (in 2012 and ’14), New York City Marathon (2014), and Tokyo Marathon (2017).

In 2013, Kipsang set the world record in the marathon in Berlin, when he broke the tape in 2:03:23. A year later, that record was broken in Berlin by Dennis Kimetto, a fellow Kenyan who trained with Kipsang. Then in 2018, global spread of the coronavirus pandemic, 2:01:39, on the same course.

As of late, Kipsang has seen more modest racing success. His most recent race was the 2019 London Marathon, in which he finished 12th in 2:09:18.

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