Kelvin Kiptum, who had just turned 24, became the fastest man in the world in the marathon last October with an unmatched time of 2 hours, 00 minutes, and 35 seconds. This extraordinary athlete passed away on Sunday in a car accident along with his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, who was accompanying him.
"Kiptum lost control of his vehicle and veered off the road," explains the president of the Kenyan Athletics Federation, Jackson Tuwei, specifying that the vehicle of the marathon world record holder hit a tree and that blow was fatal.
According to Kenyan police, the accident occurred in the Rift Valley in Kenya. The athlete's coach, Gervais Hakizimana, was also killed instantly, while a woman who was in the car was seriously injured and transported to the hospital.
According to a police report, Kiptum "lost control (of the vehicle) and veered off the road," rolling "about 60 meters before hitting a large tree."
Last October, Kelvin Kiptum broke the world marathon record, previously held by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge, completing the race in 2 hours, 00 minutes, and 35 seconds (compared to 2 hours, 01 minute, and 09 seconds for Kipchoge).
He had also won the two previous ones, in Valencia in 2022 and London in 2023.