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Kelvin Kiptum’s father Samson Cheruiyot said that four unidentified men had visited his home days before Kiptum’s death, looking for him. They did not identify themselves. Cheruiyot is asking for an investigation into his son’s death.
Kiptum, the marathon world record holder, with his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, were both killed on Sunday, February 11 when Kiptum lost control of his car and hit a tree near the town of Kaptagat.
We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the devastating loss of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana.
— Seb Coe (@sebcoe) February 11, 2024
On behalf of all World Athletics we send our deepest condolences to their families, friends, teammates and the Kenyan nation.
It was only earlier this week in… pic.twitter.com/dDBKgjXNKL
The 24-year-old Kiptum, a father of two, broke fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge’s world marathon record in Chicago in October 2023. Kipchoge had run 2:01:09 in Berlin, the year prior. Kiptum clocked 2:00:35 in his third race. He won all three marathons that he competed in over 10 months. He burst onto the scene clocking a world’s fastest debut in Dec. 2022 in Valencia winning in 2:01:53. In April four months later he won London in 2:01:25 and Chicago was just six months after. The world of athletics has been in a state of shock at the loss of Kiptum — a remarkable talent.
Cheruiyot told reporters: “They said they wanted him and now that this has happened I am wondering what they were looking for at the time. What did they want from my son because they refused to identify themselves?”
*Cover photo credit: World Athletics (World Athletics President Sebastian Coe presenting award to Kelvin Kiptum).