Olympic champion and holder of the marathon world record, Kelvin Kiptum, passed away in an automobile accident in western Kenya on Monday, according to authorities.
Around 11 p.m. (2000 GMT) on Sunday, the 24-year-old was traveling from Kaptagat to Eldoret when the automobile flipped, killing both the youthful phenomenon and his Rwandan instructor, Gervais Hakizimana.
The car had three occupants, two died on the spot, while one was taken to hospital. The two are Kiptum and his coach,” said the police commander for Elgeyo Marakwet County in western Kenya where the accident occurred, says Peter Mulinge.
“It is Kiptum who was driving heading to Eldoret and the vehicle lost control and rolled, killing the two on the spot. A female passenger sustained injuries and has been rushed to hospital,” he told reporters.
In October, Kiptum made waves in the marathon world when he broke the record with a time of 2:00:35 in Chicago, beating fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge by 34 seconds.
At the time, he was only 23 years old and taking part in his third marathon.In addition, Kiptum triumphed in his two subsequent attempts, one in London the following year and the other in Valencia for his debut in 2022.
The Kenyan had declared that on April 14, in Rotterdam, he will try to break the record as the first man to finish an official marathon in under two hours.
He was the clear favorite to win the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024.Kiptum was described as “one of the most exciting new prospects to emerge in road running in recent years” by World Athletics.