Dutch athletes react to the loss of marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum (24)

Posted On: May 3, 2024

The world of top athletics is very small and athletes often train at the same training locations or in the same regions. For example, Nageeye completed Saturday’s endurance run less than a kilometer from where Kiptum died on Sunday evening.

According to police commander Peter Mulinge, Kiptum himself was behind the wheel. He was traveling with his coach from Kaptagat to Eldoret in western Kenya. The car left the highway for unknown reasons and stopped at a tree. The athlete and his Rwandan coach died on the spot. A woman traveling with them suffered serious injuries. The exact conditions are unclear.

Kiptum, just 24 years old, set a new world record at the Chicago Marathon in October last year with a time of 2 hours 35 seconds. He thus broke the record of 2 hours, 1 minute and 9 seconds set by compatriot Eliud Kipchoge in 2022 in Berlin.

Golden Olympic opportunity

The athlete was still in Rotterdam in November because he wanted to be there for the start of the spring marathon, on Sunday 14 April. He has set a goal to become the first athlete to run under 2 hours in preparation for the Olympic Games in Paris, where he will have a good chance of winning gold.

Nageeye will play Kiptum in Rotterdam and is looking to break his Dutch record of 2 hours, 4 minutes and 56 seconds, while the Kenyan is looking to improve his world record of 2 hours 35 seconds. Nageeye wrote on Instagram that he gave an interview last week about running with Kiptum. ‘I ended my story by saying that I had to drive carefully in Kenya. Traffic and roads can be dangerous.”

Top Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan also looked very sad. He posted a photo of himself posing with Kiptum on Instagram. These two distance specialists have a special sporting bond. Hassan won the London Marathon on his debut in April last year. Kiptum won among men in the British capital.

Last October, Hassan triumphed in Chicago with the second fastest time among women in the 42.195 kilometer event (2 hours, 13 minutes and 44 seconds). Kiptum broke his world record in the same race.

Surprise through the world of athletics

The news of Kiptum’s death shocked the entire athletic world. Kenyan Sports Minister Ababu Namwamba wrote on social media platform X: “Kenya has lost a special gem. There are no words for this.’

Kiptum’s Belgian manager Marc Corstjens also reported the death on Instagram and said he was shocked. Corstjens, who coached Kiptum in Kenya in 2018, coached the Kenyan for more than five years.

Former British athlete and World Athletics chairman Sebastian Coe also said he was “very sad” by the news. “An extraordinary athlete who leaves an incredible legacy,” he wrote in X. “We will miss him greatly.”