Current:Home > BackMarathon World-Record Holder Kelvin Kiptum Dead at 24 After Car Crash-LoTradeCoin
Marathon World-Record Holder Kelvin Kiptum Dead at 24 After Car Crash
View Date:2024-12-23 15:27:37
The running world is mourning the loss of a legend.
Kelvin Kiptum, the marathon world-record holder, died in a car crash along with his coach Gervais Hakizimana Feb. 11 in his native Kenya. He was 24.
"We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the devastating loss," World Athletics president Sebastian Coe wrote in a Feb. 11 statement on X, formerly Twitter. "On behalf of all World Athletics we send our deepest condolences to their families, friends, teammates and the Kenyan nation."
The single-car crash that killed the long-distance runner and his coach, who was 36, occurred at around 11 p.m. local time between the towns of Eldoret and Kaptagat in western Kenya, according to NBC News. The car, which contained Kiptum, Hakizimana and an unidentified woman, reportedly veered off the road into a ditch and hit a tree. The third passenger in the vehicle was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Just months before his death, Kiptum had set a world record at the Chicago Marathon in October with a time of 2:00.35, according to NBC News. As the first man to ever run a marathon in under two hours and one minute—besting the great Eliud Kipchoge—the title had been ratified by World Athletics only a week before the crash.
Kiptum burst onto the running scene in 2022, and became the fastest debutant in the Valencia Marathon. In addition to his record-breaking success in the Chicago Marathon, the 24-year-old also won the London Marathon last April. At the time of his death, he held three of the seven fastest marathon times ever recorded.
As Coe put it, Kiptum was, "An incredible athlete leaving an incredible legacy," the World Athletics president continued in his X statement. "We will miss him dearly."
(NBC News and E! News are a part of the NBCUniversal family.)
veryGood! (951)
Related
- What that 'Disclaimer' twist says about the misogyny in all of us
- Cheez-It partners with Hidden Valley Ranch to create new zesty, cheesy snack
- US filings for jobless claims inch up modestly, but continuing claims rise for ninth straight week
- An Ohio apartment building, evacuated after a deadly explosion nearby, could reopen soon
- Man killed by police in Minnesota was being sought in death of his pregnant wife
- Miki Sudo, a nine-time champ, will defend Mustard Belt at Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
- Screenwriter Robert Towne, known for 'Chinatown' and 'The Last Detail,' dies at 89
- California Legislature likely to ask voters to borrow $20 billion for climate, schools
- California man allegedly shot couple and set their bodies, Teslas on fire in desert
- Indianapolis officers fire at armed man, say it’s unclear if he was wounded by officers or shot self
Ranking
- Will Trump curb transgender rights? After election, community prepares for worst
- Bronny James says he can handle ‘amplified’ pressure of playing for Lakers with his famous father
- Two 13-year-olds killed, 12-year-old injured in Atlanta shooting
- July 4th gas prices expected to hit lowest level in 3 years
- Why Amanda Seyfried Traded Living in Hollywood for Life on a Farm in Upstate New York
- Where Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky Stand One Year After Their Breakup
- Palestinians ordered to flee Khan Younis, signaling likely new Israeli assault on southern Gaza city
- Plans to demolish Texas church where gunman opened fire in 2017 draw visitors back to sanctuary
Recommendation
-
2 credit unions in Mississippi and Louisiana are planning to merge
-
Palestinians ordered to flee Khan Younis, signaling likely new Israeli assault on southern Gaza city
-
US deports 116 Chinese migrants in first ‘large’ flight in 5 years
-
Man admits kidnapping Michigan store manager in scheme to steal 123 guns
-
Maryland man wanted after 'extensive collection' of 3D-printed ghost guns found at his home
-
Angel Reese cries tears of joy after finding out she's an All-Star: 'I'm just so happy'
-
The timeless fashion style of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy
-
Melissa Etheridge's daughter found new siblings from late biological dad David Crosby