Kelvin Kiptum is a 24-year-old Kenyan long-distance runner the world Marathon Record holder( 2:00:35) and the only person in history to finish a marathon in less than 2:01:00.
He started his athletic dream at the age of 18 back in 2018 when he won the Eldoret Half Marathon in Kenya with a record time of 1:02:01.
Kiptum started going internationally in 2019 at the Lisbon Half Marathon finishing fifth with a new personal best of 59:54.
In December of the following year, he broke his own record and finished in sixth place but with a record of 58:42 at the Valencia Half Marathon.
In 2021, Kelvin slagged back and finished his races at a record of 59:35 and 59:02 in Lens(France) and Valencia. In the Lens half marathon he finished first and in Valencia eighth.
Kiptum holds three of the top six fastest marathons in the world breaking his own time record every time he runs.
In 2022 at the Valencia Marathon, Kiptum finished first with a record of 2:01:53 becoming the third man in history to break the two hours and two minutes record.
In the same year, he became the fastest debutant marathoner in history. His winning time was by far the fastest marathon debut ever.
Earlier this year at the London Marathon, he made the second-fastest time in history which was 2:01:25, only 16 seconds outside the world record.
On 8th October 2023 at the Chicago Marathon, Kiptum amazed the world by creating a new marathon world record which was 2:01:09 set by Eluid Kipchoge and made a new one of 2:00:35 becoming the first man in history to finish a marathon in less than two hours and one minute.
Kelvin is not married yet.
Death
Award-winning Kenyan Marathoner Kelvin Kiptum and his coach have sadly passed away following a grisly road accident along Eldoret-Kaptagat road.
According to traffic base commandant Dennis Muga the bodies of the deceased have been moved to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) morgue.
Kiptum reportedly lost control of the car they were driving before hitting a tree and landing in a ditch.
Read also;
Benefits of having a better sleep