The world of athletics is mourning the loss of Kelvin Kiptum, the men’s marathon world record holder, who died in a car accident in his native Kenya yesterday, along with his coach Gervais Hakizimana.
Road runner
Despite having only turned 24 in December, Kiptum had already etched his name into the pages of athletic history books. Raised in a Western Kenyan village, Kiptum was originally a short distance runner, but he gained global recognition last October on the streets of Chicago when — in only his third marathon — he shattered the world record, clocking a total time of 2 hours and 35 seconds for the iconic 26.2 mile distance.
It’s hard to get a sense of how fast that is, but next time you’re in the gym, set the treadmill to 13 mph — if it goes that high (many don’t) — and see if you can manage Kiptum’s pace for any length of time. Remarkably, during the Chicago Marathon, the runner managed a 4:18 mile in his 22nd of the race. That’s equivalent to running just shy of 14 mph, a speed that’s impressive in any standalone race, let alone after already completing 21 miles.
Kiptum's efforts last year earned him the title of 2023 World Athlete of the Year for men's out of stadia events. Like his legendary compatriot and teammate Eliud Kipchoge, Kiptum had set his sights on breaking the 2-hour marathon barrier, with plans to make an attempt at the Rotterdam Marathon in April.
