The sudden death of 24-year-old Kelvin Kiptum called the ‘new fastest man,’ still echoes in the elite athletics world. After breaking the world record for the men’s marathon last year, Kiptum, who trained for the London Marathon by running more than 300 km weekly, left an indelible mark on the sport. Devastated by his demise, many athletes expressed their sorrows paying respect to the late marathon phenom over the past month.

In what could have been his marathon appearance of 2024, the Eritrean athlete of Swiss descent, Abraham Tadesse took the baton to be the lone marathoner crossing the finish line. Post-win, he paid homage to the young-lost talent, in a heartfelt tribute.

Abraham Tadesse credits the late Kenyan marathoner

With a time of 2:05:01, Tadesse shattered the previous record to win at the 45th Zurich Marató Barcelona. Later, the men’s marathon champion told the USA News, “I carry Kiptum in my heart,” the emotional dedication stems from his story from the Tokyo Olympics, headlined: ‘From refugee to Olympic Rings.’

Tadesse’s win in Barcelona now makes him another favorite in running long distances; he smashed the previous best time by five seconds by Marius Kimutai last year. Kenyan Collins Kipkirui Kipkorir took second place clocking 2:06:43, and compatriot Edmond Kipngetich came in third with 2:07:19. Defying age limits, 41-year-old Tadesse declared he wanted to return to the marathon and try to complete in 2 hours and 4 minutes.

After extending due credit to Kiptum for the inspiration, he pointed out that this victory was essentially for the upcoming Summer marathons. Though Tadesse draws inspiration from Kiptum’s memory, he also understands the connection with Eliud Kipchoge and the uniqueness of each athlete’s career. Keeping the feisty duo in track and field aside, they both have acknowledged their fondness for late Kelvin Kiptum, showing true sportsmanship.

Marathon icon reacts to Kelvin Kiptum’s news

Grieving the loss of Kelvin Kiptum, Kenyan long-distance Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge expressed his condolences for his untimely passing and emphasized the positive aspects of his career as well as his influence on the running community. Having beaten Kipchoge’s record in the 2023 Chicago Marathon, he highlighted that the competitive scene would shift.

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“It will be a little bit different because he was a record-holder,”he said. “The competition is always high and there are high expectations. But what can we do? You can’t control nature,” wrapping his note in a few yet powerful words Kipchoge is now looking ahead to leaving another mark in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Continue reading Tokyo Marathon 2024 Medalist’s Never-Seen-Before Clip With Late Kelvin Kiptum Revealed Following Career-Best Finish