Raw emotions, lots of tears as athletes pay tribute to Kiptum

KENYA – There were raw emotions and plenty of tears at the Iten Stadium in Kenya on Thursday as residents and athletes came to pay their respects to Kelvin Kiptum.

The 24-year-old world marathon record holder and his Rwandan coach, Gervais Hakizimana, died in a car accident just over 10 days ago.

A report by the Africanews indicated that Kiptum’s death came just months after he set a men’s world record of two hours and 35 seconds in the Chicago Marathon and was looking ahead to the Paris Olympics.

Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor, a seasoned marathon runner and runner up of the 2023 London marathon, acknowledged the loss of his fellow athlete and said upcoming sporting events would not be the same without him competing.

“I think the Olympics will not be the same again because many people were expecting a big battle from various athletes and strong athletes,” he said.

The star athlete was also reportedly planning a bid to run the 42-kilometre distance in under two hours in the Rotterdam marathon in April, a feat that has never been achieved before in open competition.

“We were really looking forward to what he was going to do. Because his ambition was to run it under two hours,” Kamworor said.

Thursday’s memorial service at Iten was the first stop on his casket’s journey from a morgue in Eldoret to his final resting place on his farm in Naiberi today {Friday}.

Family members, athletes, and friends had gathered at the hospital in the morning as his coffin was loaded onto a funeral car at the start of a procession to accompany him home.

Kiptum was one of the most exciting athletes to emerge in road running in years, having broken the world record in what was only his third appearance in an elite marathon.

“I know how it feels for somebody who has broken the world record and just to die in a road accident, it’s very sad. So as an athlete, we have come here to give him a good send off,” athlete Wilson Kipsang said.

Following a vigil on Thursday night in his parent’s village, the main funeral was to take place on Friday with President William Ruto due to attend the service.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.