The sports world remains in shock after hearing the tragic news of Kelvin Kiptum’s death. The world marathon record holder lost his life at the age of 24 in a traffic accident of which new details have been revealed in recent hours.
Kiptum was driving a car with two passengers: his coach Gervais Hakizimana, who also died on impact, and a woman who was taken to hospital with injuries.
According to a police report consulted by the France Presse agency, “lost control (of the vehicle) and left the road“, tour”about 60 meters before hitting a large tree“.
The images broadcast by the Kenyan media They showed his car with a shattered windshield and roof from the impact.
Winner last year of two of the world’s great marathons, London and Chicago, Kiptum has emerged as one of the great favorites in the Olympic marathon and, in fact, also one of the great figures of Paris’2024, where athletics will be one of the king sports of the Games along with swimming and gymnastics.
His extraordinary bite at the marathon record has put the debate about human limits back on the table, about the possibility of when and where man will be able to go below two hours to complete the mythical and painful test that 42.195 kilometers.
Kiptum is the epitome of the marathon runner, a six foot tall piece of trash. and 65 kg. Born and raised at the height of the legendary Kenyan Rift Valley, where he covered 250 to 280 km. weekly in their training.
At the age of 23, in April 2023, he debuted in a super-elite marathon in London, winning and setting the second best world record in history (2h.01’25”), just 16 seconds behind the world record previously held by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge. This was just a warning of what was to come.
In October, at the Chicago Marathon, another super race, he broke the universal record at 35”, leaving it at 2h.00’35”. No one has ever broken the 2h.01′ barrier. Kiptum covered the distance at an insane speed of 21 km/hour. And yes, high-tech sneakers help, but they’re not magic.
Being so young, his future could not have been brighter, but the cruelty of life crossed his path in the most tragic way and everyone is now mourning his death at the age of just 24.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Jason Root, a professional writer working with Today Times Live, the premier news website. I specialize in sports writing, covering the biggest stories in the world of athletics. With an eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, I provide engaging and informative articles that capture the key elements of any event or issue. My work has been featured on numerous respected websites and publications around the world.
