Kelvin Kiptum was a Kenyan long-distance runner who set the world record for the marathon at the 2023 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:00:35. He remains known for winning all three marathons he entered during his career. He was a dominant athlete whose performance was formally ratified by World Athletics in 2024.
Kelvin Kiptum recorded a time of 2:00:35 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, an achievement that stood as the world record for the 42.195 km distance. This performance, ratified by World Athletics on 6 February 2024, marked the pinnacle of a brief career in which he won all three marathons he entered, consistently setting course records.
Development in the Rift Valley
Born on 2 December 1999, Kiptum grew up in Chepsamo village within the Marakwet District of Chepkorio. The area, located in Kenya's Rift Valley, sits at an altitude of approximately 2,600 metres. The only child of Samson Cheruiyot and Mary Kangongo, Kiptum began following barefoot runners along forest trails while herding cattle. He initiated formal training at age 13 and finished 10th in his first half marathon, the Family Bank Eldoret Half Marathon, in 2013.
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Kiptum made his international debut in March 2019 at the Lisbon Half Marathon, finishing fifth with a personal record of 59:54. In 2020, he began working with Rwandan coach Gervais Hakizimana. By December 2020, he clocked 58:42 at the Valencia Half Marathon. His transition to the marathon distance occurred at the 2022 Valencia Marathon, where he achieved a winning time of 2:01:53. This victory set the fastest marathon debut in history and made him the third man to finish a marathon in under two hours and two minutes.
Record-Breaking Marathon Performance
Following his Valencia success, Kiptum competed in two World Marathon Majors. He won the 2023 London Marathon in 2:01:25, a course record. Later that year, on 8 October 2023, he secured the world record in Chicago. During this race, he maintained a front-running position without a pacemaker after the halfway point, averaging a 2:51 min/km pace. He completed the distance 34 seconds faster than the previous world record, beating the runner-up by over three minutes.
Preparation and Training
Kiptum maintained a rigorous physical routine, logging between 250 and 280 kilometres weekly. His typical regimen included morning runs of 25–28 kilometres, supplemented by track or fartlek workouts on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Thursdays and Sundays were reserved for intense long runs of 30–40 kilometres performed near marathon pace. Training sessions alternated between the high-altitude terrain of Chepkorio and the lower elevations of the Kerio Valley.
Fatality in Kaptagat
On 11 February 2024, at approximately 11:00 p.m., Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, died in a vehicle collision near Kaptagat. According to local police, the athlete lost control of his vehicle, which veered off the road into a ditch and struck a tree. Kiptum was survived by his wife, Asenath Cheruto Rotich, and their two children.
Fast facts
- Born: 2 December 1999, Chepkorio, Kenya
- Died: 11 February 2024, Kaptagat, Kenya
- Marathon World Record: 2:00:35 (2023)
- Debut Marathon Time: 2:01:53 (2022)
- Coach: Gervais Hakizimana
- Spouse: Asenath Cheruto Rotich
- Training Volume: 250–280 km per week
Questions readers ask
How many marathons did Kelvin Kiptum win?
He won all three marathons he entered during his career.
What was the official status of his Chicago marathon time?
The time of 2:00:35 was ratified by World Athletics on 6 February 2024.
