- The marathon record holder was buried in his home village of Chepkorio
- Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, died in an accident earlier this month.
- The female passenger who “screamed” was taken to a nearby hospital but survived.
Mourners gathered to pay their condolences as marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptam’s body was taken to his home village for burial.
The 24-year-old died on February 11 in a traffic accident in his native Kenya, and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, 37, from Rwanda, was also killed in a traffic accident near Kaptagat, a well-known region in the south-west of the country. He died in an accident. A training base for long-distance runners.
The news shocked the world of athletics, with World Athletics president Seb Coe leading a tribute to Kiptam earlier this month, saying he was “an incredible athlete who left behind an incredible legacy”. .
The Kenyan distance runner’s death came just five days after the World Athletics Federation recognized his world record of 2:00.35, which he set when winning the Chicago Marathon.
Kiptum, a married father of two, will be buried at his home in the village of Chepkorio on Friday. His coffin was carried through the streets of western Kenya in his hearse as mourners looked on, sang hymns and paid their respects.
Kiptum’s father, Samson Cheruiyot, called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his son’s death, and received an answer on Thursday after a police autopsy.
Kenyan government pathologist Johansen Oduor revealed that Kiptum suffered “severe head injuries” as well as “lung injuries”, according to MARCA.
“Kelvin, who died, sustained severe head injuries. There was a severe skull fracture that occurred primarily at the base of the skull,” the doctor explained.
He also claimed that he had “fractures in both ribs.”
“There was also damage to the lungs. The real cause of Kelvin’s death was a severe head injury, and looking at them, they look more like they were caused by a road accident,” the doctor said.
Oduor added that samples were taken for further analysis as the circumstances of the death were under investigation.
“He noted that the samples will undergo a full toxicological analysis to see if there is anything that could have contributed to his death.”
Kiptam’s family agreed to the autopsy and said: “We are satisfied with the results.” I witnessed the entire process.
“We are currently waiting for the samples that we have been told will be taken for analysis,” said Philip Kiplagat, a spokesman for Kiptum’s family.
According to Kenneth Kimaiyo, one of the first responders at the accident scene, via Nation, Kiptum’s body was found under the vehicle, the runner was already dead, and Hakijimana was still alive on the hill. It is said that
Female passenger Sharon Chepkemoi, 32, survived after being taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
He said a man on a motorbike was seen at the scene helping Mr Chepkemoi, who cried out for help and was taken to Sunvanis Pharmacy before being transferred to MTRH.
“The coach was still breathing so we tried to save him, but he died soon after,” Kimaiyo said. Mr Kimayo added that he had known Kiptam for a long time as he often visited his shop in Chepkorio.
“Kiptam was already dead, lying under the car with his seatbelt torn off,” he revealed.
Kiptum made history in October when he ran the Chicago Marathon in 2:00.35, beating fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge’s world record by 34 seconds. His breakthrough record was only officially recognized by the World Athletics Federation last Tuesday.
Kiptam also won his first London Marathon last April with a course record time of 2:01.25, the second-fastest marathon time in history at the time. He made his marathon debut in Valencia in December 2022, scoring an eye-catching victory.
He was the favorite to win gold at this summer’s Paris Olympics, which was supposed to be an all-powerful showdown with teammate Kipchoge, and was scheduled to run in April’s Rotterdam Marathon. He is the first to break the two-hour barrier on a record-setting course.