Tragedy as marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, 24, dies after veering off-road and hitting a tree, killing himself and his coach

Kiptum and his coach Gervais Hakizimana died in the crash on Sunday eveningA 'screaming' female passenger survived after being rushed to nearby hospitalKiptum hit tree after losing control of vehicle and crashing 60 metres from road

Marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum died after driving his car into a ‘big’ tree, it has been revealed.

The runner passed away on Sunday at the age of 24 in his native Kenya, with his coach, Rwanda’s Gervais Hakizimana, 37, also killed in the road accident near Kaptagat, an area in the south-west of the country renowned as a training base for distance runners.

The news has rocked the athletics world, with World Athletics president Seb Coe leading the tributes to Kiptum on Sunday night, saying he was ‘an incredible athlete leaving an incredible legacy’.

The details of the crash have now been revealed, with a female passenger, Sharon Chepkemoi, 32, surviving the incident after being taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.

According to Kenneth Kimaiyo – one of the first responders at the crash site – via Nation, Kiptum’s body was found under the vehicle with the runner already dead, and Hakizimana still alive on a hill.

Marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum died after hitting a tree on Sunday, it has been revealed

Marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum died after hitting a tree on Sunday, it has been revealed

Kiptum lost control of his vehicle in his native Kenya, with his coach Gervais Hakizimana (right) and a female passenger also in the car, and hit a tree 60 metres from the main road

Kiptum lost control of his vehicle in his native Kenya, with his coach Gervais Hakizimana (right) and a female passenger also in the car, and hit a tree 60 metres from the main road

Kiptum made history last October when he clocked 2:00.35 to win the Chicago Marathon

Kiptum made history last October when he clocked 2:00.35 to win the Chicago Marathon


He said he saw a man on a motorbike helping Chepkemoi at the scene, who was screaming for help and taken to Sanvanis Dispensary before being transferred to MTRH.

‘We tried to save the coach because he was still breathing, but he died immediately,’ Kimaiyo, who added that he had known Kiptum for a long time because he would often visit his shop in Chepkorio, said.

‘Kiptum was laying under he car with his seat belt ripped and he was already dead,’ he revealed.

It is said that Kiptum lost control of his vehicle at Kaptagat area along the Eldama Ravine-Eldoret on his way back from Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County

It is said that Kiptum lost control of his vehicle at Kaptagat area along the Eldama Ravine-Eldoret on his way back from Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County

Both Kiptum and Hakizimana died at the scene, with the former 'laying under he car with his seat belt ripped'

Both Kiptum and Hakizimana died at the scene, with the former ‘laying under he car with his seat belt ripped’

The newspaper adds that Kiptum, who was a father of two and the son of a runner and volleyball player, lost control of his vehicle at Kaptagat area along the Eldama Ravine-Eldoret on his way back from Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County.

Jackson Tuwei, President of Athletics Kenya, said the vehicle veered off the road into a ditch before hitting a big tree 60 metres from the main road.

He said that the bodies were taken to the hospital for an autopsy which will begin after the families had been briefed and ‘all agreements are done’.

He added that the accident happened at 8pm GMT on Sunday, 11pm local time, and that the vehicle was ‘extensively damaged’ and towed to a local police station for ‘inspection and police further action’.

Kenyan journalist Kipruto Lagat, meanwhile, revealed photos of the crash site on social media in the early hours of Monday morning.

Accident scene where Kelvin Kiptum met his death. pic.twitter.com/np57dYFkCE

— Kipruto Lagat 🐘🐘🐘 (@ArapTilingi) February 12, 2024

Kenyan journalist Kipruto Lagat has published what he has said are photos of the crash site on social media

Kenyan journalist Kipruto Lagat has published what he has said are photos of the crash site on social media

Lagat shared two images of a tree and what appeared to be debris of a vehicle nearby

Lagat shared two images of a tree and what appeared to be debris of a vehicle nearby

It was said the woman was screaming for help and taken to Sanvanis Dispensary before being transferred to MTRH

It was said the woman was screaming for help and taken to Sanvanis Dispensary before being transferred to MTRH

Police commander for Elgeyo Marakwet County in western Kenya Peter Mulinge confirmed that the two men that died ‘on the spot’ were Kiptum and Hakizimana, with Coe leading the tributes to the 24-year-old.

Coe wrote on X: ‘We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the devastating loss of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana.

‘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 Chicago, the place where Kelvin set his extraordinary marathon world record, that I was able to officially ratify his historic time.

‘An incredible athlete leaving an incredible legacy, we will miss him dearly.’

World Athletics president Seb Coe led the tributes to the 24-year-old on social media

World Athletics president Seb Coe led the tributes to the 24-year-old on social media

Kiptum was a married father of two, and grew up in a family of athletes, with his father also a runner and his mother a volleyball player

Kiptum was a married father of two, and grew up in a family of athletes, with his father also a runner and his mother a volleyball player

Kiptum was hoping to be the first man to break the two-hour barrier for a marathon in Rotterdam in April

Kiptum was hoping to be the first man to break the two-hour barrier for a marathon in Rotterdam in April

Kiptum made history in October when he clocked 2:00.35 to win the Chicago Marathon, smashing his fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge ‘s world record by 34 seconds. His landmark time was only officially ratified by World Athletics last Tuesday.

Kiptum also won his first London Marathon last April in a course record of 2:01.25, which was then the second fastest marathon time ever. It followed an eye-catching victory on his marathon debut in Valencia in December 2022.

He would have been the favourite to win gold at this summer’s Olympics in Paris, in what was set to be an almighty showdown against his team-mate Kipchoge, and he had been due to race at the Rotterdam Marathon in April, where he was hoping to break the two-hour barrier for the first time ever on a record-eligible course.

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