This time final yr, the athletics world was shocked when information emerged that world marathon record-holder Kelvin Kiptum had misplaced his life in a automotive crash on the age of simply 24.
Kiptum and his coach Gervais Hakizimana had been tragically killed after the automotive they had been in veered off the street between the cities of Eldoret and Kaptagat in Kenya.
Native county commander Peter Mulinge said that Kiptum had “misplaced management of the automobile”, which hit a tree earlier than touchdown in a ditch. A 3rd passenger, Sharon Kosgei, was rushed the hospital and survived the crash.
In response to Johansen Oduor, a chief pathologist with the Kenyan authorities, Kiptum suffered “extreme cranium fractures” in addition to “fractures on the left and proper sides of his ribs and lung contusions”.
Seb Coe, president of World Athletics, led the tributes to Kiptum and Hakizimana, saying: “On behalf of all World Athletics we ship our deepest condolences to their households, pals, team-mates and the Kenyan nation.
Kelvin Kiptum (Getty)
“It was solely earlier this week in Chicago, the place the place Kelvin set his extraordinary marathon world document, that I used to be in a position to formally ratify his historic time. An unbelievable athlete leaving an unbelievable legacy, we’ll miss him dearly.”
Kiptum’s world document of two:00:35 in Chicago continues to be the quickest ever marathon to at the present time.
It was simply his third race over 26.2 miles, after he ran the quickest ever debut marathon (2:01:53) in Valencia in December 2022 and a London Marathon course document (2:01:25) in April 2023.
Forward of final season, Kiptum was favorite to win the Olympic marathon gold in Paris and there have been even hopes he might break the two-hour barrier on the Rotterdam Marathon.
Finally yr’s London Marathon, organisers paid homage Kelvin Kiptum with a 30-second spherical of applause, in addition to exhibiting a video of the Kenyan’s life and performances.
Kelvin Kiptum (LM Occasions)
Kiptum’s time within the marathon was brief and candy however the legacy he left over 26.2 miles can be felt for generations to come back.
His runs of two:00:35, 2:01:25 and a couple of:02:53 nonetheless rank as first, third and seventh on the worldwide marathon all-time listing, emphasising Kiptum’s dominance over the gap.
Sooner or later sooner or later, an athlete will probably problem Kiptum’s place on the high of the tree. Nonetheless, proper now, the Kenyan continues to be the unrivalled primary.
» Subscribe to AW journal right here, try our new podcast right here or signal as much as our digital archive of again points from 1945 to the current day right here
