Kelvin Kiptum Death: World Athletics pays tribute to Kenyan world-record holder with previously unseen interview of him

The official YouTube channel of 'World Athletics' recently posted a tribute video for the late marathon world record holder, Kelvin Kiptum.

The sporting world was shocked to hear about Kiptum's death, just days after his world record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon of 2:00:35 was ratified officially.

Kelvin Kiptum and his coach Gervais Hakizimana passed away in a tragic car crash in Kenya on February 11, 2024. Kelvin was considered to be one of the contenders for the gold medal at the Paris Olympics and was recently training to participate in the Rotterdam Marathon in April 2024.

The official account of World Athletics posted a tribute video for the late athlete, showcasing a never-seen-before interview filmed at the World Athletics award ceremony in December 2023.

In the interview, Kelvin speaks about his experience running the Chicago Marathon. He runs through crucial aspects of the race and explains how it ultimately culminated in a world record.

"This was my first time in Chiacgo and I was ready for the race. In fact, that day I was going for my personal best, to break the course record. In that moment, I was feeling good, feeling strong, feeling relaxed," said Kelvin.

Furthermore, he explained how he had to run his own race without pacemakers as they could not keep up with his pace.

"I was telling the pacemaker just lets still push. It was a little bit slow, but it was good. At that time I was trying to tell myself to push the pace because it was a litlle bit slow and that time the pacemaker could not keep up with the pace. So, that's where I tried to move," he said.

Kelvin Kiptum's legacy

Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon after breaking the world record.

Kelvin Kiptum broke the world record in just his third official marathon. He was the first man to break the two-hour one-minute barrier in an official race. Olympic champion Eluid Kipchoge previously held the marathon record with a timing of 2:01:09 at the Berlin Marathon.

Kelvin's steep rise as a marathon runner was unprecedented. He first rose to prominence after breaking the two-hour two-minute marathon barrier at the Valencia Marathon. His quick pace and smooth running style were two elements of his unrealized potential.

He was all set to participate in the Rotterdam Marathon in April 2024 before turning his focus completely to the Summer Olympics in Paris.