Kelvin Kiptum was a Kenyan long-distance runner and the marathon world record holder at the time of his death. He was the only person in history to run the marathon under two hours and one minute in a record-eligible race. He ran three of the seven fastest marathons in history.
Kiptum won three marathons he participated in, all renowned, including two top-tier World Marathon Majors (WMM), and held between December 2022 and October 2023. The times he achieved are three of the six fastest times in history, a course record under 2:02-hour in each case, making him the only man ever to break this barrier thrice.
Kiptum ran the fastest ever marathon debut at the 2022 Valencia Marathon, becoming only the third man in history to break two hours and two minutes and setting the then fourth-quickest time ever.
Kiptum followed it up four months later with the second fastest marathon in history at 2:01:25, 16 seconds outside the world record, at the 2023 London Marathon (WMM). In his next race, the 2023 Chicago Marathon (WMM) six months later in October 2023, the 23-year-old broke the world record by 34 seconds with a time of two hours and 35 seconds.
Kelvin Kiptum Age
Kelvin Kiptum was just 24 years old at the time of his untimely demise.He was born on 2 December 1999. He grew up in Chepsamo village, Chepkorio — the high-altitude (~2600 m) area in picturesque Elgeyo-Marakwet County of Kenya’s Rift Valley.
It is located some 30 km east of Eldoret, on the southeastern border of the Kaptagat forest, and just near the edge of the meridional Elgeyo (Keiyo) escarpment to the east, which rapidly gives way to the lower Kerio Valley (800–1200 m).
Together with nearby counties of Kenya, the region is known as the birthplace of many renowned Kenyan runners and also as a mecca for foreign runners.
As a young boy, he herded his family’s cattle and began following other barefoot runners along the forest trails. Kiptum started training around 2013, when he was 13 years old.
Kelvin Kiptum cause of death
Kelvin Kiptum was killed in a road traffic accident on 11 February 2024 at 11pm, near Kaptagat, Kenya, in which his coach Gervais Hakizimana also died.
Local police stated that Kiptum was the driver of a car which “lost control and rolled”, killing Kiptum and Hakizimana, and injuring a female passenger.
World Athletics president Seb Coe led the tributes to Kiptum on Sunday night, saying he was ‘an incredible athlete leaving an incredible legacy’.
He wrote on X: ‘We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the devastating loss of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana.
On behalf of all World Athletics we send our deepest condolences to their families, friends, teammates and the Kenyan nation.
‘It was only earlier this week in Chicago, the place where Kelvin set his extraordinary marathon world record, that I was able to officially ratify his historic time.
‘An incredible athlete leaving an incredible legacy, we will miss him dearly.’
Raila Odinga, Kenya’s prime minister from 2008 to 2013, wrote on X: ‘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.
‘My deepest condolences to his loved ones, friends, and the entire athletics fraternity. Our nation grieves the profound loss of a true hero.’
Kenya’s minister for sports Ababu Namwamba wrote: ‘Devastatingly sickening! Kenya has lost a special gem. Lost for words.’
Kelvin Kiptum wife
Kiptum Kiptum was married to Asenath Rotich but there isn’t much known about her in the public eye.
According to Kiptum’s uncle, Kiplagat Cheruiyot, all the credit for Kiptum’s achievements goes to his wife, Asenath Rotich, as she has been the driving force behind his success.
Kelvin Kiptum chiildren
Kiptum and his wife Asenath had two children prior to his demise, but there is no publicly available information regarding them.
Kelvin Kiptum Net worth
Kelvin Kiptum’s net worth stood at approximately $500,000.
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