The world is mourning the tragic death of World Marathon Record holder Kelvin Kiptum, who succumbed to injuries sustained during a road accident on Sunday, February 11, 2024.
A rising star, who set Kenya on the world map when he ran a marathon in 2:00:35 in October 2023, was an only child to Samson Cheruiyot.
Devastated by the death of his son, who has left behind children, Cheruiyot has appealed to the government of Kenya to conduct investigations into the death of the marathoner.
“I got the news of my son’s death at while I was watching news. I went to the scene of the accident but the police had taken the body to Eldoret,” Cheruiyot recalls.
AdverSpeaking to Citizen TV, Kiptum’s father said he had last talked with him on Saturday, where the marathoner gave him an assurance of more medals and a better future.
“He told me someone will come and help us build a house. He said that his body is now fit, and he can now run for 1:59,” Cheruiyot recalled the last conversation with his only son.
“Kiptum was my only child. He has left me, his mom, and his kids. I have no other child. His mom was sick for a while. Right now I’m deeply saddened.”
While calling for investigations into the death, Cheruiyot said unknown people had recently visited his homestead in search for Kiptum.
“There are people who came home a while back who were looking for Kiptum but they refused to identify themselves. I asked them to provide identification, but they opted to leave. It was a group of 4 people”
“There are people who came home a while back who were looking for Kiptum but they refused to identify themselves. I asked them to provide identification, but they opted to leave. It was a group of 4 people,” he said, calling on the government to intervene in educating the marathoner’s children.
Kiptum, 24, and his Rwandese coach Gervais Hakizimana died around 11 p.m. on Sunday along the Elgeyo Marakwet-Ravine Road in the Kaptagat area, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Meanwhile reports reaching our newsdesk right now indicate that a woman who was in the car with Kelvin Kiptum at the time of the accident has succumbed to her injuries.
Sharon Chepkirui Kosgei, a passenger who was in the company of Marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, has succumbed to injuries sustained during the Sunday night accident.
Chepkurui had been rushed to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital with severe injuries following the accident that occurred along the Eldoret-Kaptagat road.
Her death brings to three the people who died in the grisly accident. The others are Kiptum himself and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana.
According to a police report, the Chicago Marathon World Record holder was driving his Toyota Premio when he lost control of the vehicle and landed in a ditch.
drove in the ditch for about 60 metres before hitting a big tree
He drove in the ditch for about 60 metres before hitting a big tree. As a result, Kiptum and Hakizimana died on the spot whereas Chepkurui escaped with serious injuries and was rushed to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) for treatment.
Kiptum and Hakizimana’s bodies were moved to Racecourse Hospital Mortuary in Eldoret awaiting autopsy.
Kiptum rose to prominence in the world of athletics after registering the fastest marathon debut in Valencia in 2022.
The 24-year-old star continued to rise in 2023 when he conquered the London Marathon with a course record of 2:01:25 in April.
It was however in October when Kiptum made headlines after he shattered the men’s world record by clocking 2:00:35, to become the first man to run a marathon in under two hours and one minute, and taking 34 seconds off fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge’s previous record.
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