Kelvin Kiptum’s death has sent shock waves through the running world.
At just 24 years old, the Kenyan athlete, who tragically died alongside his coach Gervais Hakizimana in a road accident on Sunday evening (11 February), had already achieved so much during his short career – and yet had so much left to give.
The current marathon world record holder, Kiptum had surpassed marathon GOAT Eliud Kipchoge at the Chicago Marathon last year, when he clocked a time of 2:00:35 to shave over 30 seconds off the record and become the first person to run under 2:01 for the marathon in an official race.
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Tributes have poured in for Kitpum, who leaves behind his wife Asenath Rotich, their two children and his parents.
Kipchoge expressed his deep sadness at the news, SheRaces to launch women-only race series in 2025: ‘I am deeply saddened by the tragic passing of the marathon world record holder and rising star Kelvin Kiptum.
‘An athlete who had a whole life ahead of him to achieve incredible greatness. May I offer my deepest condolences to his young family. May God comfort you during this trying time.’
World Athletics president Seb Coe also London Marathon 2023: ‘We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the devastating loss of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana,’ he wrote. ‘On behalf of all World Athletics we send our deepest condolences to their families, friends, teammates and the Kenyan nation.
‘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.’
Born on 2 December 1999 in Chepkorio, a small village in Kenya’s Rift Valley – the home of most of Kenya's top distance runners – he grew up surrounded by running greats, and dreamt of becoming one himself.
The son of farmers, he started running herding his family’s cattle and began following other barefoot runners along the forest trails.
His family couldn’t afford for him to travel to the town of Eldoret 30km away, where many of Kenya’s pro runners base themselves, to do track sessions so he joined a village running group and ran down the dirt roads of Chepkorio.
By the age of 13 he was running road races – finishing 10th in the Family Bank Half Marathon, which he went on to win five years later, despite being entirely self-coached at the time. The following year, he won the Kass Half Marathon.
Kiptum ran his first international race in March 2019 – the Lisbon Half Marathon – where he finished fifth with a PB of 59:54.
In 2022, he made his marathon debut at the Valencia Marathon – which he went on to win in 2:01:53 – becoming the fastest marathon debutant in history.
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The 2023 Chicago marathon, where he nabbed the world record from Kipchoge, was the pinnacle of his career and, devastatingly, his last-ever race.
'The loss of Kelvin Kiptum is a huge shock for the sport,' said RW columnist and National Endurance Manager (Off Track) with England Athletics Tom Craggs.
'At 24 years of age he had a decade or more of top level marathon racing ahead of him having already broken the world record.
'Of course there was the prospect of a first sub 2-hour race in Rotterdam this spring, but there was also the Kipchoge / Kiptum head to head at the Paris Olympics this year. For many this represented a metaphorical passing of the baton from one Kenyan legend to the next generation.
'Much like Sammy Wanjiru we will never know what he may have achieved, but we know he would have had a sparkling career.
More importantly, he was a husband and a father of two children and that is where my thoughts are centred.'
Everyone at Runner's World expresses their deepest condolences to Kiptum's family and friends.
