Kenya Marathon Icon Kiptum’s Funeral Scheduled For February 24

Kenya Marathon Icon Kiptum’s Funeral Scheduled For February 24

The funeral arrangements for Kelvin Kiptum, the renowned Kenyan marathon record-holder who tragically lost his life in a car accident, have been finalized for February 24, confirmed an official from the athletics federation to AFP on Wednesday….READ ALSO

After discussions with the family and the government, who have assumed responsibility for all funeral preparations and protocols, we have settled on February 24,” stated Barnabas Korir, a member of the Athletics Kenya executive committee, a day after meeting with the grieving family.

Kiptum, a 24-year-old father of two, and his coach Gervais Hakizimana from Rwanda, met with the fatal accident on Sunday night in the Eldoret region, renowned as the epicenter of Kenyan long-distance running.

“In tribute to Kenya’s esteemed world marathon record-holder, a genuine national hero, the Government is committed to supporting Kiptum’s family in giving him a dignified heroic send-off,” declared Kenya’s cabinet in an official statement on Wednesday.

“Kiptum was a force in sports whose groundbreaking accomplishments inspired millions globally. He remains the sole individual in history to complete a marathon in under two hours and 1 minute.”

Kiptum achieved a historic feat by breaking the world marathon record in Chicago in October of the preceding year, surpassing the previous fastest time set by his Kenyan counterpart, Eliud Kipchoge, by 34 seconds.

He was widely anticipated to compete in the marathon event at the Paris Olympics, where he was slated for a showdown with Kipchoge for the first time.

In light of Kiptum’s untimely demise, Athletics Kenya also announced the cancellation of the trials for the African Games, initially scheduled for this Friday and Saturday, “in honor of the late Kelvin Kiptum.”

The selection process for the team representing Kenya at the Games, set to be held in Accra, Ghana’s capital, next month, will be postponed until a later date yet to be determined, the statement added.