Kelvin Kiptum’s parents have been left disappointed after the widow of the late world marathon record holder failed to attend his memorial.
Kelvin Kiptum’s parents have expressed their sadness at the decision by the late world marathon record holder’s wife not to attend his memorial.
Kiptum’s parents marked one year since the tragic death of the marathoner, who passed away on February 11, 2024, through a road accident that also claimed his coach.
His parents organised a memorial mass in his honour on Tuesday conducted in Naiberi, Uasin Gishu County, but claim his wife Asenath Rotich did not attend.
The late marathoner’s father Samson Cheruiyot and mother Mary Kangongo went on to conduct the ceremony on their own, remembering the life and times of their son, who had broken the world marathon record in Chicago in October 2023.
The world marks the first anniversary of Kelvin Kiptum’s death on Tuesday but for his parents, it is a painful reminder of how unbearable life has been since their son passed away.
“Son, even though you are gone, your memories will forever be precious, and the blessing is that you are still alive in us. We remember you on this difficult day,” read his parent’s message as per TUKO.
“Your kindness and laughter continue to live in our hearts. You will always be loved. To everything you did to us while you were alive. We are thankful. Continue resting in eternal peace, our son.”
Commenting on their daughter-in-law’s no show, Mzee Cheruiyot says they waited for her and his grandchildren until late but decided to proceed once it was clear that they would not turn up.
“We waited for Asenath and our grandchildren, but they were nowhere to be seen. Until we decided to do the anniversary ourselves later at 4pm,” he said.
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Cheruiyot had earlier accused Rotich of abandoning the family immediately after Kiptum was buried but it has since emerged that there was a disagreement between the two parties.
“It hasn’t been easy, but we have tried our best. I have no problem sitting down with them to agree on the way forward,” Rotich told Nation, regarding her current relationship with Kiptum’s parents.
“But life must continue and I’ve tried to be strong for my kids because I know I’m now a mum and a dad to them. They are doing well in school.”
Kiptum died at the tender age of 24, just four months after setting the marathon world record in Chicago, running 2:00:35, the first man to run a sub-2:01 marathon.
That came after he had won the 2023 London Marathon in 2:01:25, the second fastest in history at the time, and on his debut in Valencia in December 2022, he ran 2:01:53, the fourth fastest of all-time then.
