Kelvin Kiptum, who broke the men's marathon world record last year and crossed the finish line just shy of the once-unfathomable mythical two-hour barrier, died Sunday in a car accident in Kaptagat in western Kenya. He was 24 years old.
His death was announced by Athletics Kenya, the country's governing body for athletics. Kiptam's coach, Gervais Hakijimana, also died in the accident.
Officials said the driver, Kiptamu, veered off the road, into a ditch and hit a large tree. He and Hakijimana died instantly. A third passenger in the car, Sharon Kosgei, was injured.
After achieving good results in the half marathon, Kiptam made a breakthrough in his first marathon in Valencia, Spain in 2022, setting a winning time of 2 hours 1 minute 53 seconds. He won the 2023 London Marathon by overwhelming the field with a time of 2:01:25, the second fastest time in history, 16 seconds short of the world record of 2:01:09 held by Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya. .
Kiptam did not fail on his next try. At the Chicago Marathon in October, Kiptum broke the record with a time of 2:00:35 on a flat course known for fast times. It was only his third marathon.
“The world record wasn't on my mind today,” he told reporters after the race. “I saw the time in front of me. I said, 'Let's try it.' Maybe I can run within 2 hours. ”
At a time when hundreds of Kenyans have been banned from the sport over the past decade for doping violations, his record has not only been astounding but has drawn scrutiny. “My secret is training,” Kiptum told reporters last fall, although he has never been accused of doping or served a drug suspension. “There is nothing else.”
Kelvin Kiptum was born on December 2, 1999 in Chepsamo, Kenya. He worked as a goatherd in his youth and trained as an electrician before becoming a runner.
“I knew that when he was young he herded livestock barefoot,” Hakijimana told the BBC last year. “It was in 2009. I was training near his father's farm and he came to kick my heel and I was pushing him away.”
News of Kiptum's death prompted tributes from across Kenya, Africa and the entire road running world. “He was only 24 years old,” says Kenyan President William Ruto. I wrote to X. “Kiptum was our future. An extraordinary sportsman who left an extraordinary mark on the world.”
Kiptam's survivors include his wife and two children. Complete information about his survivors was not immediately available.
Kiptum's record time in Chicago raised hopes that he could one day break the two-hour record, long considered unattainable. In Vienna in 2019, Kipchoge covered a distance of 46.2 miles in 1 hour, 59 minutes, 40 seconds. However, this time did not count as a world record because Kipchoge was assisted by a professional pacesetter and had never run under open marathon conditions.
Kiptam was considering officially attempting to break this barrier at the 2024 Rotterdam Marathon in April. “I'm going to Rotterdam to run fast,” he told reporters in December. “The course is nice and the fans around town are encouraging me to run faster. I want to be a part of the rich history of this marathon.”
After Rotterdam, Kiptum and Kipchoge were expected to be favorites to win this summer's Paris Olympic Marathon.