Homages have been extended for Kelvin Kiptum, the holder of the world marathon record, following his unexpected demise along with his coach in a road accident on Sunday.
The 24-year-old, who secured victory in the London Marathon in April and later established the world record in Chicago in October, was reportedly involved in a vehicular incident in Kaptagat, south-west Kenya, at 11 pm local time, where he lost control of his vehicle according to the police.
Tragically, his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, also lost his life in the crash, while a third individual is reported to have been transported to the hospital.
Homages have been extended for Kelvin Kiptum, the holder of the world marathon record, following his unexpected demise along with his coach in a road accident on Sunday.
The 24-year-old, who secured victory in the London Marathon in April and later established the world record in Chicago in October, was reportedly involved in a vehicular incident in Kaptagat, south-west Kenya, at 11 pm local time, where he lost control of his vehicle according to the police.
Tragically, his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, also lost his life in the crash, while a third individual is reported to have been transported to the hospital.
Kenya’s former prime minister, Raila Odinga, was among those to pay his respects, writing on X, formerly Twitter: “Devastating news as we mourn the loss of a remarkable individual, Kelvin Kiptum, world record-holder and Kenyan athletics icon. Together with his coach, they tragically passed on in an accident tonight. Our nation grieves the profound loss of a true hero.”
