The Chicago Marathon will have a special flavor this year. Tinted with sadness. Because Kelvin Kiptum, world record holder with a time of 2 hours and 35 seconds in this city a year ago, will not be one of them. Died after a road accident last February, the Kenyan will be honored this Sunday in Illinois.
On October 8, 2023, this little-known 23-year-old athlete achieved the unthinkable. He achieved a monumental time and broke the world record of his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge (2h01′09′’), the king of the marathon. He became the new star of racing, aiming for a race in less than two hours in April 2024 then gold at the Paris Olympics.
But Kelvin Kiptum was killed on February 11 after leaving the road in the town of Kaptagat, in the Rift Valley, not far from his place of residence and training. His trainer, Rwandan Gervais Hakizimana, also on board, also lost his life in the accident.
Stickers and a minute of silence
“The 2 hours and 35 seconds spent by Kelvin Kiptum in the streets of Chicago last October will go down in Chicago Marathon history. This year, while we see this void on the starting line, we want to honor his legacy,” explain the organizers.
Stickers to stick on their bibs are offered to the 50,000 participants in this great marathon, one of the six “majors” in the world, and a minute of silence will be observed at the starting line.
Without him, the Ethiopian Birhanu Legese presents himself with the best time reference (2h02:48 in Berlin in 2019), but has not experienced success since the Tokyo marathon in 2020. The Kenyans Amos Kipruto, Vincent Ngetich and Daniel Ebenyo completes the list of favorites.
Without the Dutch title holder Sifan Hassan, resting after her exploits at the Paris Games (three medals including marathon gold), the Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich is the fastest of those entered (2h14′18′’).
The Chicago marathon takes place this Sunday and will be broadcast from 2:15 p.m. on Eurosport 1 and La Chaîne L’Equipe.
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