Kelvin Kiptum, the pastor who became the king of the marathon in record time

Three marathons and three wins, and the last one, this Sunday at Chicagohe Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum At the age of 23, he broke Eliud Kipchoge’s world record, completing 42.195 kilometers in 2h00’35” and beating his compatriot’s mark by 34 seconds. The student passed the teacher with a display, running on ‘City of wind‘ at a dizzying speed, at a speed of 2.51”/km, at more than 21 km/h per hour in the last part, completed 420 sets of 100 meters in 17 seconds and was able to run the second part of the marathon more faster than before.

A victory that left everyone speechless, especially when one considers his youth and the way in which he obtained the new record, with a brutal change of pace with 10 kilometers to go, where most marathoners , their legs are really heavy, running the second half marathon in 59’47”, until becoming the first person to go under 2h01′. This opens a new scenario and generates a debate among fans about whether when is it possible to lose two hours, which Kipchoge did in 2019 in Vienna, although his mark of 1h59’40” was disapproved.

In the footsteps of Kipchoge

Now, Kiptum, who always has Kipchoge as a reference, is the main candidate. “When I was young, I watched Eliud train and I told myself that one day he would be like me.” He had already passed it in Chicago, and he didn’t make it all the way because the Kenyan slopes were too muddy from the rain.

Kiptum started running regularly in 2016. At the age of 18, in October 2018, he won the Eldoret (Kenya, 1h02’01”). He made his international debut in Lisbon Half Marathon In 2019, he finished 5th with a personal best of 59’54”, truly shocking the world for the first time by winning the Valencia 2022 (2h01’53”), after many days of quiet work and having already run two very fast half marathons (Copenhagen60’48”, and Belfort59’53), obtaining the results of the exercise in which he combined the series at the height of Chepkorio and the plain of Kerio Valleyunder the gaze of his coach, the Rwandan Gervaix Hakizimanawho was a runner in his time.

“We would hold sessions in the forest near his house and he would follow us after tending his sheep and goats,” Hakizimana recalled to AFP. “In 2020, Covid imprisoned me in Kenya, I stayed for a year and trained him in the forest. “I ran with him and we started a marathon program in 2021,” added the Rwandan, establishing this parallel with Kipchoge . “Eliud runs between 180 and 220 kilometers per week and Kiptum more than 250 per week, sometimes more than 300. He is at risk of injury, but he does not want to slow down.”

A risk that remained in the background after the success of Chicago. After the record, Kiptum looks to the future and dreams of competing with 2024 Paris Olympicswhere will he meet a Kipchoge that he will come to the appointment with the capital of love at 39 years old but with the enthusiasm of a child in a historic career.