Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum, the holder of the marathon world record, passes away in a tragic road accident

Kelvin Kiptum, the record holder for the men's marathon, has tragically passed away in a car accident in Kenya. The 24-year-old was traveling near Eldoret, where he had been training. Kiptum emerged as a rival to fellow Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge in 2023, breaking Kipchoge's world record by completing the 26.1-mile race in two hours and 35 seconds. His team recently announced that he would attempt to run a marathon in under two hours at the Rotterdam marathon, a feat that has never been accomplished in open competition. Kiptum's ascent to fame was swift, running his first full marathon in 2022. Starting his career on the road, rather than on the track like previous generations of Kenyan athletes, Kiptum struggled with limited resources, even having to borrow shoes for his first major competition. He cited lack of money for travel as the reason for his unconventional path.