Kelvin Kiptum: A King Uncrowned
In many ways, the marathon is the final frontier for most professional distance runners. Affording no forgiveness for reputation, it routinely humbles the best in the world. Take Mo Farah – a 10-time global champion on the track – who only tasted victory once over the distance, or Kenenisa Bekele – a man with 20 world titles – who has failed to finish a third of his career marathons. Most athletes spend decades on the track before braving the roads, approaching the marathon with the reverent respect it commands.
Among other things, that is what made Kelvin Kiptum so fascinating to watch. As the 23-year-old Kenyan powered away from the field at the 2022 Valencia Marathon, many chalked his brashness up to his ignorance as a marathon debutant. The commentary box spoke of this impressive, but by no means outstanding, half-marathoner and his ill-fated injection of pace that would surely wreak havoc on the closing stages of his race.
But that was not to be. Pushing on to the quickest second half in marathon history, Kiptum crossed the line in 2:01:53 to become the fastest debutant in history and assert himself as the third-fastest marathon runner of all time.
Kelvin Kiptum wins the 2022 Valencia Marathon on debut
Kiptum’s journey to the start line in Valencia was somewhat routine by Kenyan standards. Born to farmers on the outskirts of Eldoret, he spent much of his childhood running through fields, herding his family cattle. Older athletes would trace the dirt roads surrounding his property, and Kiptum quickly grew to idolise these runners. At 13, he began training with a local group, and as there was no track in the area, he defaulted to road races. He clocked his first win at the Eldoret Half Marathon when he was 18 and made his international debut the following year in Lisbon, where he ran under the hour for the first time and placed fifth. Later that year, he raced in the Valencia Half Marathon, improving his lifetime best to 58:42 and coming sixth.
For the next few years, Kiptum travelled the world as a professional half-marathon runner. While he always featured towards the front, he only won a handful of races and never troubled the record books. His early career did little to foretell the dominance he would enjoy over double the distance, and so few paid attention to him on the start line of the 2022 Valencia Marathon.
That was not the case at the 2023 London Marathon. Introduced alongside reigning World Marathon Champion Tamirat Tola, and Kenenisa Bekele, the second-fastest marathoner in history, spectators waited to see if Kiptum could replicate the level of performance he had displayed four months ago in Spain.
After a bunched start, Kiptum unleashed what was quickly becoming his trademark move, storming ahead of the leading pack with about 30 minutes of running remaining. He closed the final 10km almost three minutes faster than his closest competitor to produce a convincing win and move to second on the all-time list with a time of 2:01:25.
This performance meant that Kiptum was the main event come the 2023 Chicago Marathon. After quickly disposing of his competitors, he charged home to a new world record of 2:00:35 and replaced Eliud Kipchoge atop the marathon all-time list. Just 10 months after his debut, Kiptum had become the world’s highest-ranked distance runner.
Kelvin Kiptum celebrates after breaking the men’s marathon world record
(Photo credit: Bank of America Chicago Marathon/Kevin Morris)
As strange as it may sound (given what he had already achieved), 2024 was set to be Kiptum’s breakout year. In two months’ time, he was to run the Rotterdam Marathon in his first official attempt at breaking the two-hour marathon barrier. After that, he was due to take on Kipchoge at the Paris Olympics.
The first clash between the marathon great and the rising star would have been one of the most anticipated road races in history: the immovable object against the unstoppable force. As Kipchoge nears the end of his career, Kiptum had emerged as the heir-apparent to the marathon running throne, and Paris was all but certain to witness his coronation.
Unfortunately, that changing of the guard will never happen. Last week, Kiptum was the driver in a fatal car accident that also claimed the life of his coach, Gervais Hakizimana.
Kiptum’s death is hauntingly reminiscent of Samuel Wanjiru’s passing. Also 24 when he died, Wanjiru was one of the world’s most dominant marathoners. By age 23, he had already broken two world records and won five major marathons, including becoming the first Kenyan to win Olympic gold over the distance (his time still stands as the Olympic record). Tragically, Wanjiru died after falling from his balcony, and much like Kiptum, the world never witnessed his true potential.
In a statement on X, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe paid tribute to Kiptum’s life as “an incredible athlete leaving an incredible legacy; we will miss him dearly.” The Kenyan is survived by his wife, Asenath Rotich, and their two children.