Kelvin Kiptum, who made his marathon debut in December 2022 and won in Valencia with the fastest debut marathon time in history, tragically passed away. His untimely demise has deeply shocked many, including his main rival and former world record holder Eliud Kipchoge. Kiptum’s unexpected death has been mourned by high-profile individuals, with Kenya’s President William Ruto describing him as a hero and an exceptional sportsman. Kiptum’s achievements as a marathon runner, including setting a new world record at the Chicago Marathon, were a testament to his mental strength and discipline.

Many have expressed their condolences and highlighted Kiptum’s potential as a future star in the world of athletics. President Ruto extended his sympathies to Kiptum’s family, recognizing him as one of the greatest marathon runners of all time and acknowledging the extraordinary mark he left on the globe. World Athletics president Coe and Olympic champion Rudisha also shared their deep sadness at Kiptum’s passing, emphasizing his incredible legacy and expressing condolences to his family, friends, and the athletic fraternity. The loss of Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, is mourned by the athletic community, and their memory will be dearly missed.

Kelvin Kiptum has officially had his world marathon record of 2:00:35 set in Chicago last year ratified. He became the first athlete to break 2:01 in a record-eligible marathon, taking 34 seconds off the world record at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on 8 October. He broke away from a seven-strong lead group and crossed the finish line in 2:00:35, almost three and a half minutes ahead of the competition. Kiptum expressed his happiness at achieving a world record, stating, “I knew I was coming for a course record, but a world record – I am so happy.”

During the race, Kiptum reached 5km in 14:26 and was joined by his compatriot Daniel Mateiko.

They were on world record pace at 10km, passed in 28:42, but the tempo dropped slightly, and they reached halfway in 1:00:48. Kiptum kicked after passing the 30km mark in 1:26:31, dropping Mateiko. A 5km split of 13:51 took him to the 35km checkpoint in 1:40:22, putting him on sub-2:01 pace, 49 seconds ahead of Mateiko. The previous world record was 2:01:09, set by Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin on 25 September 2022.

With his performance, Kiptum improved his personal best by 50 seconds to surpass the previous world record. His accomplishment was officially ratified, solidifying his place in marathon history.