Kenya marathon star Kiptum’s funeral to be held February 24

(FILES) Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum runs to the line to win the Men’s race at the finish of the 2023 London Marathon in central London on April 23, 2023. – World marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum and his coach Gervais Hakizimana have died in a car crash in western Kenya that left a third passenger also injured, police said on February 11, 2024. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) / “RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – SPONSORSHIP OF CONTENT SUBJECT TO LMEL AGREEMENT”. – “Restricted to editorial use – sponsorship of content subject to LMEL agreement”.

The funeral for Kenya’s world marathon record-holder Kelvin Kiptum, who died in a weekend car crash, will be held on February 24, an athletics official said on Wednesday, with the government promising a “heroic farewell”.

Kiptum will be buried at the family home in Chepsamo near Eldoret, the heartland of Kenyan distance running in the west of the country, Athletics Kenya executive committee member Barnabas Korir told AFP.

“We have settled on February 24 following consultations with the family and the government which have taken over all the funeral arrangements and protocol,” Korir said, a day after visiting the bereaved family.

Police said Kiptum, a 24-year-old father of two, was killed after the car he was driving veered into a ditch and ploughed into a tree in the Eldoret area on Sunday night.

His Rwandan coach Gervais Hakizimana also died in the accident while a woman passenger was injured.

Kiptum’s death, just four months after he broke the world marathon record, shocked Kenya and the world of athletics.

“We expect some high dignitaries to attend the burial including the President William Ruto and the head of World Athletics Seb Coe,” Korir said.

He added that the funeral service would be