Here is everything you need to know that made Kelvin Kiptum a marathon icon.
Kelvin Kiptum was born on December 2, 1999 and grew up in Chepsamo village, Marakwet District, Chepkorio a high-altitude area in Elgeyo-Marakwet County of Kenya’s Rift Valley.
Kiptum, the only child of Samson Cheruiyot and his wife, spent his childhood herding his family’s cattle and following other barefoot runners along the forest trails.
Kelvin Kiptum started training around 2013, when he was 13 years old. Until his demise, last year, Kelvin Kiptum was a world beater whose legacy will live forever. Pulse Sports delves into the details as to why he is legendary.
5 defining moments that cemented Kelvin Kiptum’s marathon legacy
1. Record-Breaking Debut at the 2022 Valencia Marathon
The late Kelvin Kiptum is the marathon world record holder. Photo/Imago
In December 2022, Kelvin Kiptum set the record for the fastest marathon debut in history at the Valencia Marathon with a time of 2:01:53. This made him the third man to run a marathon in under two hours and two minutes.
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Kiptum’s debut time in Valencia was the fastest marathon debut ever, and he became the third man to break two hours and two minutes while setting the then fourth-quickest time ever. What is more impressive is that Kelvin Kiptum won all the three marathons that he ran.
2.Course Record at the 2023 London Marathon
Kelvin Kiptum followed it up four months later with the second-fastest marathon in history at 2:01:25, 16 seconds outside the world record, at the 2023 London Marathon.
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If his victory in Valencia was by fluke then the London marathon win was a proof that Kelvin Kiptum was on the right path to greatness and the next big thin in marathon considering his age.
3. World Record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon
At the 2023 Chicago Marathon six months later in October 2023, he broke the world record by 34 seconds with a time of 2:00:35, a mark ratified on 6 February 2024—five days before his death—by the international track federation World Athletics.
4. Tragic Passing in February 2024
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Kelvin Kiptum Instagram
In February 2024, the running community was shocked by the news of Kiptum’s untimely death in a car accident in Kenya.
Kiptum and his Rwandese coach Gervais Hakizimana died in a car crash on 11 February 2024 in Kaptagat, a settlement in rural Kenya used as a training place for long-distance runners. Local police said that Kiptum lost control of his vehicle and veered off the road, hitting a tree.
5. Posthumous Honors and Tributes
Many people paid tribute to Kelvin Kiptum after his death in a car accident, including fellow athletes, Kenyan officials, and world leaders. President William Ruto eulogized Kiptum as a star, noting that an extraordinary sportsman had left an extraordinary mark on the globe.
“Kelvin Kiptum was a star. Arguably one of the world’s finest sportsmen who broke barriers to secure a marathon record. He was only 24 yet, as a hero, triumphed in Valencia, Chicago, London and in other top competitions. His mental strength and discipline were unmatched. Kiptum was our future. An extraordinary sportsman has left an extraordinary mark in the globe. Our thoughts are with the family and the sporting fraternity. Rest in peace,” President Ruto said.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe also sent his condolences, saying that the sport has lost one of its brightest lights. “It was only earlier this week in Chicago, the place where Kelvin set his extraordinary marathon World Record, that I was able to officially ratify his historic time. An incredible athlete leaving an incredible legacy, we will miss him dearly,” Coe said.
