KENYA BIDS FAREWELL TO KELVIN KIPTUM

Kelvin Kiptum, the 24-year-old marathon world record holder who recently died in a car accident, was laid to rest during a state funeral on 23 February in Kenya. Among the thousands of mourners who attended the emotional send-off were Kenya's president, William Ruto, and Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, the international governing body for several sports.

At the Chicago (USA) marathon in 2023, Kiptum clocked a record 2:00:35 hours, becoming the first man to run the marathon under 2 hours and 1 minute. His next major competition would have been at the Olympic Marathon in July-August 2024 in Paris, France.

The athlete died alongside his Rwandan coach, Gervais Hakizimana, on 11 February. The 36-year-old was buried on 21 February in his home country.