Slashing 50 seconds off his personal best record, current marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum eclipsed Eliud Kipchoge‘s record of 2:01:09 in 2023. Kiptum’s victory at the 2023 Chicago Marathon sparked the talk of him being the next big marathoner, even a potent threat to Kipchoge. Tragically, Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, passed away on March 11, 2024, in a car crash in western Kenya, ending Kiptum’s bright career.

While the local police confirmed that an accident was the cause of their deaths, rumors on social media linked Eliud Kipchoge, the two-time Olympic champion, to the tragedy. As more people looked into it, attention turned to a warning issued by an athletic coach, shedding light on a risky affair involving Kenyan athletes.

The legacy of Eliud Kipchoge and the trials of Kelvin Kiptum

It all started after Kiptum’s momentous feat of racing 26.2 miles in 2:00:35 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Things escalated after Kiptum and Kipchoge were named in Kenya’s tentative marathon team for the Olympics in Paris. The Rongai Athletics Club’s head coach, Bernard Ouma, cautioned against pitting the two athletes against one another reported Pulse Sports. He said, “I don’t think you would want to put Kipchoge and Kiptum head-to-head with a number of factors being considered.”

Ouma then emphasized Kipchoge’s unparalleled career longevity, saying, “All of them are amazing road runners…Kipchoge is a special guy if you look at his personality, how he speaks, and how he resonates with the public. His human skills are so high and even when you look at his longevity, he is actually one of the longest-serving runners. He started running in 2003 when Kiptum was probably three years old…you wouldn’t want to put the two head-to-head”

At the 2022 Valencia Marathon, Kelvin Kiptum earned the quickest debut time (2:01:53) in his maiden race. He then ran the second-fastest marathon in history in the 2023 London Marathon (2:01:25). With very close marathon times, the two marathoners were among the most anticipated athletes for this summer. But a heartbreaking situation surrounding the death of Kelvin Kiptum has devastated Eliud Kipchoge and placed him at the forefront of accusations.

Conspiracy theories affecting the legend

Eliud Kipchoge has been severely impacted by Kelvin Kiptum’s death, given the threats he received about his family. In an interview with BBC News Africa, Kipchoge became overwhelmed with emotion to the point that he sobbed, and said, “I walk in the streets freely.” Kipchoge said he “lost about 90%” of his friends amid the wrongful link to Kiptum’s accident and online abuse. It was really painful for me to learn even from my own people, my training mates, those who I have contact with, and the bad words are coming from them.”

Seeing the brutality and rumors, Kipchoge’s initial reaction was to look for his family’s wellbeing. He said, “My girl was in boarding school – that was positive-but it’s tough for my boys to hear ‘Your dad has killed somebody’.” There seems to be no strong backing for the Kenyan Olympic marathoner who is a Paris Olympics medal hopeful for his contingent this year.