World record holder dies tragically at age 24
Marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum has tragically died at the age of 24.
The Kenyan athlete and his his coach, Rwanda's Gervais Hakizimana, both passed away after a horrific traffic collision on Monday, that occurred in western Kenya.
The crash happened on a road between the towns of Eldoret and Kaptagat, where a noted high-altitude training centre for long-distance athletes is located.
In October 2023, Kiptum set the world record of 2 hours and 35 seconds at the Chicago Marathon.
The record was only made official by World Athletics on February 7th, just five days before his untimely death.
Kenya's Sports Minister Ababu Namwamba spoke out on Kiptum's death, writing on X, "Devastatingly sickening!! Kenya has lost a special gem. Lost for words."
Former prime minister Raila Odinga described Kiptum as a "Kenyan athletics icon" in a statement on social media, writing, "Devastating news as we mourn the loss of a remarkable individual."
"My deepest condolences to his loved ones, friends, and the entire athletics fraternity."
"Our nation grieves the profound loss of a true hero."
After making his marathon debut just over a year ago, Kiptum ran three of the fastest seven marathons in history during his brief career.
The Kenyan athlete had declared his goals to take home a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the weeks before his death.
Image credits: Getty Images