I’d like to begin my article by reminding you of Kelvin Kiptum’s incredible potential. Here are some excerpts from my article titled “Awesome Marathon World Record” at https://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/maratonda-muthis-dunya-rekoru
to remind you how Kelvin Kiptum became the world’s best runner at just 24 years old:
– Kelvin Kiptum Cheruiyot is a Kenyan long-distance runner and marathon world record holder. He is the only person in history to run a marathon in under 2.01:00 in a record-eligible race.
– Kenyan runner Kelvin Kiptum set a new marathon world record by winning the race in 2:00:35, beating the previous world record of 2:01:09 set by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge at the 2022 Berlin Marathon by 34 seconds. Kiptum has previously broken course records in various marathons.
– Kiptum won three of the six fastest times in history, including two top-tier World Marathons, held between December 2022 – October 2023. His times include three of the six fastest times in history, and since he ran them all under 2:02:00, he became the only person to break this barrier three times.
The ability to accelerate and break the record later
– I don’t know if the Olympic or world record will be broken in Paris, but I think that before or perhaps after the Paris Olympics next year, the 42-km, 195-m marathon will be run in under two hours for humanity. We’ll see if it’s Kipchoge, Kiptum, or a new young talent. Of all the people who could break the record, my guess right now is that Kiptum is the closest. Both his youth and his unique qualities make him a strong candidate: Kiptum’s tactic is to run the first 30 km alongside the best runners, then accelerate in the final 15 km, gaining a lead over the other competitors. No other runner can accelerate his pace in the later stages of the race and outpace everyone else.
– Kiptum achieved the fastest time ever for a debutant at the 2022 Valencia Marathon. The following year, he won two of the world’s most prestigious marathons, the London and Chicago Marathons. Last April, he set a new course record at the London Marathon, and months later, he became the world’s fastest marathoner. Imagine an athlete who has competed in only three marathons in his short career, breaking course records in two of them and setting a world record in his most recent race. Here’s the video of the moment he broke that incredible world record (I’m especially saddened by the joy of his coach, who passed away while he was breaking it): https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3PUJsfPMOP/?igsh=MWc2cWZtZjY3bG83bQ==
The accident that saddened the athletics world
Now, let’s talk about the tragic accident that took the lives of the world’s best marathon runner and his coach this week. The car carrying the 24-year-old Kenyan athlete and his coach, Rwandan Gervais Hakizimana, left the road in the country’s west, entered a ditch, and crashed into a tree.
Elgeyo Marakwet District Police Commander Peter Mulinge told CNN that the 24-year-old Kenyan athlete and his coach, who were driving a Toyota Premio, died at the scene of the accident. Mulinge added that a third passenger escaped with serious injuries. “He lost control, went off the road, entered a ditch 60 meters away, and hit a large tree,” Mulinge said. The accident occurred around 11:00 p.m. (See: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/12/sport/marathon-world-record-holder-kelvin-kiptum-dies-intl-hnk/index.html )
The mystery behind the marathon star’s death
Following the marathon star’s death, Kelvin Kiptum’s father stated that four foreign men had been searching for him before his son’s death and requested that the Kenyan Government investigate the marathon star’s death.
The 24-year-old star, a married father of two, lost his life along with his Rwandan coach, Gervais Hakizimana, in the car accident where he lost control of his Toyota.
Speaking to Citizen TV in Kenya, Kiptum’s family said they sensed something was wrong before the accident and that four unfamiliar men came to Kiptum’s home and called him. The men, who did not reveal their identities, reportedly left the house afterward.
Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said on his X account: “We mourn the loss of a distinguished man, world record holder and Kenyan athletics icon Kelvin Kiptum, and his coach, who passed away together in the accident.” (See: https://t24.com.tr/haber/maraton-yildizi-kelvin-kiptum-un-olumunun-ardindaki-gizem,1151631 )
An incredible athlete
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said Kiptum was “an incredible athlete who left an incredible legacy.” Kenyan Sports Minister Ababu Namwamba said on X: “It’s devastating! Kenya has lost a special gem. Words fail.
Kenya’s opposition leader and former prime minister, Raila Odinga, stated that the country had lost a “true hero” and was mourning “an extraordinary individual and icon of Kenyan athletics.”
Athletes and family members, including Kiptum’s father, gathered at the hospital morgue where the bodies of Kiptum and his coach were being held.
One of the athletes, former women’s steeplechase world champion Milcah Chemos, broke down in tears and struggled to speak.
Kenneth Kimaiyo, a friend of Kiptum, said he arrived at the scene of the accident shortly afterward and that Kiptum was ejected from the car. (See: https://tr.euronews.com/2024/02/12/kenyali-dunya-rekortmeni-maratoncu-kelvin-kiptum-trafik-kazasinda-oldu )
Many messages were released from the sports, and especially athletics, community on the death of Kelvin Kiptum. One of the most meaningful of these is the “In peace” message, which you can watch below. It was a video titled “Yat Kelvin Kiptum.”
What he taught us in his short life
The following sentences at the end of this video, in my opinion, summarize this tragic loss:
– Kelvin Kiptum achieved three historic successes in his first three marathons.
– He was an unrivaled superstar, a dream come true for everyone.
– His impact on runners and the public was incredible.
– Kelvin Kiptum taught us the following in his short life:
- Running a marathon in under 2 hours is undeniably possible.
- With focus, great things can be achieved.
- Running the second half of the marathon (approximately the last 21 km) faster is the right way to achieve success.
- It is possible to defy the odds.
- Anyone can achieve great things in any situation.
We will always remember you, Kelvin. From now on, at every major running event (especially the Valencia, London, and Chicago Marathons, where you broke records), When a marathon record is broken or the official marathon is run in under two hours, we will always remember you and compare you to you. We will say, “If Kiptum had lived…” You left this world too soon, leaving what you could have achieved to our imagination. I am deeply saddened. I thank you wholeheartedly for expanding humanity’s boundaries at such a young age and for what you taught us about life. Rest in peace, my brother.
Note:
- I would also like to share a clip of an interview with Kelvin Kiptum, which aired on the American CBS channel. In this interview, Kiptum expresses, with characteristically endearing shyness, his desire to compete in the Olympics and run the marathon in under 2 hours: Marathon world record-holder Kelvin Kiptum was killed in a car crash in Kenya on Sunday. Shortly before his tragic death, the 24-year-old… | Instagram
This is the second part of the interview: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3n4VAdxORt/?igsh=MWZydmM0eXdjbmZsMQ==
- One day after I published this article, minutes before the start of the Seville Marathon, Kelvin Kiptum was commemorated with a beautiful ceremony. Here are the images: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3fRnOgtxjY/?igsh=bjNpejk1emx0N2t4
Tag: health
