Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum, the world record holder in the men’s marathon at 24 years old, tragically passed away in a road accident in his native country.
The accident also claimed the life of his coach, Rwanda’s Gervais Hakizimana, on a road in western Kenya on Sunday.
The road accident happened at about 23:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Sunday.
Giving details of the crash, police said Kiptum was driving and had “lost control [of the vehicle] and veered off-road entering into a ditch on his left side”.
“He drove in the ditch for about 60 metres before hitting a big tree,” a police statement said.
Kiptum and Hakizimana died at the site of a collision. A third person – a young woman – was seriously injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.
![Damaged car](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/11ECE/production/_132622437_cardamage.jpg)
Kiptum rose to prominence in 2023 as a formidable competitor to fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, one of the most celebrated marathon runners.
He achieved a breakthrough by surpassing Kipchoge’s record, completing the 26.2-mile (42km) distance in two hours and 35 seconds during the Chicago Marathon last October.
Both Kiptum and Kipchoge had been selected for Kenya’s provisional marathon team for the upcoming Paris Olympics later this year.
Kipchoge expressed his condolences, describing Kiptum as a rising star with immense potential for achieving greatness. Kenya’s President William Ruto also paid tribute, acknowledging Kiptum’s remarkable contributions to the world of sports.