Henry Rono, famous for his world records, has died at the age of 72

The Kenyan athlete Henry Ronowho is known for breaking four world records – in the 10,000 meters, in the 5,000 meters, and in the 3,000 meters steeplechase on two occasions – in just 80 days in 1978, died this Thursday in his home country at the age of 72.

“We would like to send our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and the entire athletics fraternity at this very difficult time,” Kenya’s athletics federation, Athletics Kenya, said in a statement.

According to the organization, the runner died at 10:30 local time (7:30 GMT) at Nairobi South hospital, where he had been hospitalized for the last ten days.

Born Rono in a small town in central Kenya in 1952, he retired and turned 72 on Monday.

Remembered as one of the best runners in the country, he held the 3,000-meter steeplechase record (7:32.1) for eleven years.

However, he never competed in either Olympic Games because Kenya, like other African countries, boycotted the competitions held between 1976 and 1980 to oppose some world events, since the apartheid regime in South Africa in the invasion of Soviet Union of Afghanistan.

Rono’s death comes as Kenya is still mourning the loss of the athlete Kelvin Kiptumworld marathon record holder, in a traffic accident on Sunday.

Kiptum became world famous on October 8, when he set a time of 2h00:35 and clearly lowered the previous record held by his countryman Eliud Kipchoge with 2h01:09, which was achieved in Berlin on September 25, 2022.