Hundreds of people in Kenya say goodbye to marathon runner Kelvin Kiptum who died in an accident. In Chepkorio in the Kenyan highlands, celebrations began on Friday for the funeral of the 24-year-old, who died almost two weeks ago.
Kiptum’s flower-decorated coffin arrived in the small town of Chepkorio in the morning, where Kenyan President William Ruto and Sebastian Coe, President of the World Athletics Association, were also expected to attend the funeral service.
Priests in mourning regalia and a choir, as well as numerous fellow runners, accompanied the coffin. Before the funeral service began, many people lined up to walk past the coffin and take a last look at the dead man.
In his homeland, Kiptum, who leaves behind a wife and two small children, was considered a sports idol. Last October he won the Chicago Marathon, only his third official race over 42.195 kilometers, in a world record time of 2:00:35 hours. He was the first person to run a marathon under 2:01 hours, surprising even experts.
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Several Kenyan television channels have reported live since the morning, and the leading Kenyan daily newspaper “Daily Nation” appeared on Friday with a multi-column photo of Kiptum and the headline “Fare thee well.” There were prayer vigils across the country on the eve of the funeral. Hundreds of people also gathered in the capital Nairobi with candles for a silent remembrance, while the KICC conference building was illuminated with a picture of the dead athlete.
