WHY FOUR MEN VISITED KELVIN KIPTUM’S HOME BEFORE HIS DEATH

The four individuals who visited the home of World Marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum four days before his death voluntarily presented t...

The four individuals who visited the home of World Marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum four days before his death voluntarily presented themselves before the DCI in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet, seeking to clarify their involvement. Tragically, Kelvin Kiptum, 24, and his Rwandan coach, Garvis Hakizimana, 36, passed away in a road accident in Eldoret on Sunday evening around 11 pm. The vehicle they were traveling in, a Toyota Premio, lost control, veered into a ditch, and hit a tree. Both Kiptum and Hakizimana died on the spot, while a third passenger, Sharon Kosgey survived.

Noah Kemboi, Duncan Ruto, and two others were reportedly commissioned by a Chinese sportswear company to persuade Kelvin Kiptum to wear their gear for the Rotterdam marathon in April. Elgeyo Marakwet CCIO Joshua Chelal said that despite initially agreeing to a multimillion deal involving wearing the Chinese company’s sports gear, Kelvin Kiptum chose an alternative brand for the Chicago marathon. And this prompted the four to visit the athlete’s home to convince him to fulfil his contractual obligations to the Chinese company.

“Allegedly, a Chinese company was to supply sports equipment to the late Kiptum to be used during the Chicago marathon. But Kiptum chose to go with another brand for the Chicago marathon.”
Elgeyo Marakwet CCIO Joshua Chelal relayed to KTN News.

The revelation by the four individuals occurred shortly after Kelvin Kiptum’s father, Samson Cheruiyot sought the Kenyan Government’s intervention to investigate the circumstances surrounding his only child’s tragic death. Samson Cheruiyot disclosed that four days before Kiptum passed away, unidentified men claiming to be government officials visited his home, inquiring about the whereabouts of Kiptum.

“Four days before Kiptum’s death, four men came to my home to look for him. And when the tragedy occurred, I wondered what investigations they wanted to carry out. Those people refused to identify themselves.”
Samson Cheruiyot told Citizen TV.

However, the four men denied allegations of any responsibility for the deaths and rejected claims that they posed as State House representatives. Burial preparations for Kelvin Kiptum are underway, with the burial set for Saturday, February 24 at his home.

The Legacy of Kelvin Kiptum

Kelvin Kiptum leaves behind a legacy of remarkable achievements, including being the only person in the world to complete a marathon in under two hours and one minute, clocking 2:00:35 in the Chicago Marathon of October 2023 to break Eliud Kipchoge’s world record of 2:01:09. His demise occurred shortly after World Athletics officially acknowledged his marathon record. Kelvin Kiptum ran three of the seven fastest marathons in history. And he emerged champion in the 2022 Valencia Marathon and 2023 London Marathon.

Eliud Kipchoge in Mourning

Kenyan Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge took to X and expressed deep sorrow over the twenty-four-year-old’s death as he offered heartfelt condolences to Kelvin Kiptum’s young family. Kipchoge, who was set to race against Kelvin Kiptum in the August Paris Marathon acknowledged the loss of a rising star with immense potential.

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic passing of the Marathon World Record holder and rising star Kelvin Kiptum. An athlete who had a whole life ahead of him to achieve incredible greatness. I offer my deepest condolences to his young family. May God comfort you during this trying time.”
Eliud Kipchoge expressed on X.

Eliud Kipchoge stated on X.