<p>Nairobi: World marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum and his coach Gervais Hakizimana died in a traffic accident on Sunday, former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said on social media platform X.</p><p>Kenya's minister for sports Ababu Namwamba said on X , "Devastatingly sickening!! Kenya has lost a special gem. Lost for words."</p><p>Kiptum, 24, set the world record at the Chicago Marathon in October with a time of 2:00:35 to surpass the record of 2:01:09 set by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin in 2022.</p> <p>Kiptum smashed the London Marathon course record earlier last year and was determined to make magic again in Chicago as he sped up through the 35-kilometre mark before thrusting his arms in the air to cheers from the crowd down the final stretch. </p>
<p>Nairobi: World marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum and his coach Gervais Hakizimana died in a traffic accident on Sunday, former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said on social media platform X.</p><p>Kenya's minister for sports Ababu Namwamba said on X , "Devastatingly sickening!! Kenya has lost a special gem. Lost for words."</p><p>Kiptum, 24, set the world record at the Chicago Marathon in October with a time of 2:00:35 to surpass the record of 2:01:09 set by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin in 2022.</p> <p>Kiptum smashed the London Marathon course record earlier last year and was determined to make magic again in Chicago as he sped up through the 35-kilometre mark before thrusting his arms in the air to cheers from the crowd down the final stretch. </p>