Marathon World Record Holder with Time '2 Hours 00 Minutes 35 Seconds' Dies in Traffic Accident

by Kim Eunha

Published 12 Feb.2024 12:51(KST)

Kipteum and Coach Riding Together Found Dead in Accident on the Night of the 11th

Kelvin Kiptum (Kenya), the men's marathon world record holder, has died in a traffic accident. He was 24 years old.

On the 12th, major foreign media reported that Kiptum lost his life around 11 p.m. local time on the 11th in a car accident on the road connecting Eldoret and Kaptagat in Kenya. This area is a highland well known as a long-distance running training base. There were three people in the vehicle, and among them, Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, died.

Marathon world record holder Kipchoge who died in a car accident [Photo by Yonhap News]

Kiptum was the first marathoner to complete a full marathon course in under 2 hours and 1 minute. Born in 1999, Kiptum crossed the finish line at the Chicago Marathon full course 42.195 km in 2 hours 00 minutes 35 seconds last October. This record was officially approved by World Athletics last week and recognized as the men's marathon world record.

Kiptum was the first marathoner to complete a marathon in under 2 hours and 1 minute and was considered a strong candidate to achieve a sub-2-hour record. In fact, last week his team announced that they would break the 2-hour barrier at the upcoming Rotterdam Marathon.

Marathon world record holder Kipchoge <span class="source">Photo by AFP/ Yonhap News</span>

Marathon world record holder Kipchoge Photo by AFP/ Yonhap News

A father of two, he completed his first full marathon only in 2022. Having appeared on the world stage for just 10 months, he set a world record on his third full marathon completion. Unable to afford his own shoes, he borrowed shoes to compete in his first major race and won, then broke the world record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2 hours 35 seconds.

Hakizimana, who died alongside him, is known to have first met Kiptum over 10 years ago in Chepkorio, Kenya, where Kiptum was raising sheep and goats. In an interview with foreign media after the Chicago Marathon, Coach Hakizimana said, "(Kiptum) trains extremely hard, running 300 km a week," adding, "Kiptum does not want to stop training. All he does all day is eat, sleep, and run."

Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, paid tribute via social media, saying, "Kiptum was an athlete who left an amazing legacy. We will miss him deeply."