Mourners pay respects to marathon document holder Kelvin Kiptum
- Marathon world document holder Kelvin Kiptum has died aged 24 in Kenya
- He made historical past in October when he ran 2:00.35 to win the Chicago Marathon
- Mourners paid respects to Kiptum and his coach on the scene of the accident
Mourners have gathered to pay tribute to marathon world document holder Kelvin Kiptum the place the Kenyan star was tragically killed in a automotive accident on Sunday.
The runner handed away on Sunday on the age of 24 in his native Kenya, along with his coach, Rwanda‘s Gervais Hakizimana, 37, additionally killed within the highway accident close to Kaptagat.
The space within the south-west of Kenya is famend as a coaching base for distance runners.
Members of the general public visited the scene of the accident on Monday to pay their tributes to the late star.
Fellow Kenyan long-distance stars have been additionally pictured after viewing Kiptum’s physique on the Racecourse Mortuary within the Rift Valley city of Eldoret.
Mourners gathered on the scene of the automotive accident which killed marathon star Kelvin Kiptum
Fellow runners and members of the general public have been sombre after viewing Kiptum’s physique
Double Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon was pictured in tears on the Racecourse Mortuary
One lady was seen being carried away after viewing Kiptum’s physique on the mortuary
Mourners gathered to pay their respects to Kiptum following his demise on Sunday
The world document holder and his coach Gervais Hakizimana died within the automotive accident
Kiptum and Hakizimana died after the marathon runner’s automotive crashed right into a tree
Faith Kipyegon, a double Olympic champion within the ladies’s 1,500m was pictured in tears after viewing Kiptum’s physique.
One lady was pictured being carried away from the mortuary.
New photos have additionally been revealed which present the extent of the harm to athlete’s Toyota Premio.
Details of the crash have been revealed on Monday, with a feminine passenger, Sharon Chepkemoi, 32, surviving the incident after being taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
According to Kenneth Kimaiyo – one of many first responders on the crash website – through Nation, Kiptum’s physique was discovered underneath the automobile with the runner already lifeless, and Hakizimana nonetheless alive on a hill.
The newspaper provides that Kiptum, who was a father of two and the son of a runner and volleyball participant, misplaced management of his automobile and crashed into a giant tree on the Kaptagat space alongside the Eldama Ravine-Eldoret.
Kiptum had been on his method again from Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County.
Jackson Tuwei, President of Athletics Kenya, stated the automobile veered off the highway right into a ditch earlier than hitting a giant tree 60 metres from the principle highway.
New photos have revealed the extent of the harm to Kitptum’s Toyota Premio
The roof of the automobile was ripped off after Kitptum’s automotive collided with a tree on Sunday
It is claimed that Kiptum misplaced management of his automobile at Kaptagat space alongside the Eldama Ravine-Eldoret on his method again from Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County
The automotive was towed away from the scene of the accident on Sunday and take to a police station
Both Kiptum and Hakizimana died on the scene, with the previous ‘laying underneath he automotive along with his seat belt ripped’
Tuwei stated that the our bodies have been taken to the hospital for an post-mortem which is able to start after the households had been briefed and ‘all agreements are finished’.
He added that the accident occurred at 8pm GMT on Sunday, 11pm native time, and that the automobile was ‘extensively broken’ and towed to an area police station for ‘inspection and police additional motion’.
Kiptum made historical past in October when he clocked 2:00.35 to win the Chicago Marathon, smashing his fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge‘s world document by 34 seconds. His landmark time was solely formally ratified by World Athletics final Tuesday.
World Athletics president Seb Coe led the tributes to Kiptum on Sunday night time, saying he was ‘an unbelievable athlete leaving an unbelievable legacy’.
He wrote on X: ‘We are shocked and deeply saddened to be taught of the devastating lack of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana.
‘On behalf of all World Athletics we ship our deepest condolences to their households, associates, teammates and the Kenyan nation.
‘It was solely earlier this week in Chicago, the place the place Kelvin set his extraordinary marathon world document, that I used to be capable of formally ratify his historic time.
‘An unbelievable athlete leaving an unbelievable legacy, we’ll miss him dearly.’
Kiptum additionally received his first London Marathon final April in a course document of two:01.25, which was then the second quickest marathon time ever. It adopted an attention grabbing victory on his marathon debut in Valencia in December 2022.
Marathon world document holder Kelvin Kiptum has died on the age of 24
Kiptum (L) and his coach Gervais Hakizimana (R) died in a highway accident in Kenya’s Kaptagat space at 11pm native time
Kiptum made historical past final October when he clocked 2:00.35 to win the Chicago Marathon
World Athletics president Seb Coe paid tribute to Kiptum and Hakizimana on Sunday night time
Kiptum would have been the favorite to win gold at this summer time’s Olympics in Paris, in what was set to be an almighty showdown towards his team-mate Kipchoge, the 39-year-old two-time defending champion.
Kipchonge took to X to precise his disappointment on the information. A submit, topped with the phrases ‘Rest in peace Kelvin,’ learn: ‘I’m deeply saddened by the tragic passing of the Marathon World document holder and rising star Kelvin Kiptum.
‘An athlete who had an entire ligfe oahead of him to attain unbelievable greatness.
‘I supply my deepest condolences to his younger household. May god consolation you throughout this attempting time.’
Raila Odinga, Kenya’s prime minister from 2008 to 2013, wrote on X: ‘Devastating information as we mourn the lack of a exceptional particular person, Kelvin Kiptum, World Record holder and Kenyan athletics icon. Together along with his coach, they tragically handed on in an accident tonight.
‘My deepest condolences to his family members, associates, and your entire athletics fraternity. Our nation grieves the profound lack of a real hero.’
Kenya’s minister for sports activities Ababu Namwamba wrote: ‘Devastatingly sickening! Kenya has misplaced a particular gem. Lost for phrases.’
London Marathon occasion director Hugh Brasher wrote: ‘Kelvin had the game of marathon working in his toes and at his toes. He was a “once in a generation” athlete who was set to redefine the boundaries of our sport.
The 24-year-old would have been the favorite to win gold at this summer time’s Olympics in Paris
‘Three marathons, three wins. The quickest marathon debutant in Valencia, London’s course document holder and the world document holder in Chicago, all inside the house of lower than 12 months. His was a flame that burned so vibrant and final night time was tragically put out.
‘As a sport we mourn for a life so tragically minimize quick, a expertise and a piece ethos that was solely beginning to be appreciated and a person that we had solely simply began to know.
‘Our ideas are along with his household and associates and people of his coach Gervais.
‘We hope that Sharon Chepkurui Kosgei, who was travelling with them, makes a full and speedy restoration.’
