How crash ended Kiptum's promising career

A woman in the company of the athlete and his coach during the time of the accident, was treated at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) Eldoret and discharged on Monday.

Bodies of Kiptum and Hakizimana lay outside the mangled car, while the woman, trapped inside, was crying for help, according to a witness Kenneth Kimayo.

"Seven of us rushed from Chepkorio to the scene after we received calls, and we found the coach still breathing but died a few minutes before an ambulance arrived. Kiptum was no more. We arrived at the scene at 11:20pm," Kimaiyo said.

MTRH acting CEO Philip Kirwa said the 24-year-old woman identified as Sharon Kosgei sustained a wound on her face and some minor soft tissue injuries.

"She was in stable condition. She sustained soft tissue injuries and was treated by our doctors. She has now been discharged and is recuperating at home," Kirwa said.

The world had turned its sights on the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast when news of the tragic accident broke, causing shock among sports enthusiasts.

The accident happened at Flax junction in Kaptagat after Kiptum's car veered off the road and hit a huge tree.

Authorities said preliminary investigations indicated that the athlete lost control of his vehicle.

According to Elgeyo Marakwet County police, the Chicago Marathon champion was driving back to his training base in Chepkorio from Eldoret when his Toyota Premio got involved in the accident.

Sports CS Ababu Namwamba (centre) with Asenette Kiptum, the wife of the late Kelvin Kiptum, at her home in Chepsamo village, Keiyo South, Elgeyo Marakwet. Right, AK President Jackson Tuwei. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

According to relatives, Kiptum did not proceed to secondary school, choosing to train as an artisan electrician before training in Kaptagat forest without a coach while herding his father's cows.

He started off his journey to marathon stardom by winning the Valencia Marathon in December 2022.

He went ahead to win the 2023 London Marathon in a course record before shattering the world record at the Chicago Marathon in October.

Last October, Kelvin Kiptum, a 24-year-old athlete from Chepsamo village in Elgeyo Marakwet ran 2:00:35 shaving 34 seconds off the previous mark set by Eliud Kipchoge, who is the second fastest of all time in the marathon.

He stunned the world with the fastest mark at the Chicago Marathon on October 8, further raising eyebrows.

A battle between Kiptum and Kipchoge at the 2024 Paris Olympic Marathon in August is a clash that the world was yearning to watch, this year.

In December, he was named the World Athlete of the Year 2023 in the long-distance category.

He has left a widow Asenette Kiptum and children Kigen, 4, and Cherop, 7.