Athletes plead for modern training facilities as they mourn Kiptum 

As the world mourned the passing on of world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum, the embarrassment of talent rolling off the North Rift production line are still waiting for first class training facilities.

During the requiem mass for Kiptum in Chepkorio, Elgeyo Marakwet County, on Friday, the government promised, for the umpteenth time, the completion of the region’s sporting facilities which has been under renovation for decades now. 

Former world javelin champion Julius Yego thanked the government for building Kiptum a house in his new home - where he was buried on Friday - within record time.

“We knew Kiptum within a short period, and he did a lot in the marathon and he just left us very fast just as he came. 

“It was barely a week ago when you ratified his record and I know it must have been so hard for you because he just enjoyed it for only five days before he died,” said Yego, addressing World Athletics President Seb Coe who flew in for the funeral from his base in Monaco.

Yego made another appeal for sports facilities, pleading with President William Ruto to launch a sports development project at Chepkorio in Elgeyo Marakwet County, where Kiptum had been training together with his training mates. 

“The three counties where athletes train and hail from (Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet and Nandi) have no good training facility and it’s high time the three governors bring their heads together and come up with even one facility that will be able to help in terms of training,” he said. 

Yego, speaking on behalf of athletes, also appealed for Kenya’s world record holders to be accorded state handlers.

“For the record holders, we just need security and that has surfaced when Kiptum died because if he had a security officer or a driver, we would not be mourning now. That is too little to ask as one way of celebrating the champions,” said Yego. 

Tanzania’s national marathon record holder Gabriel Geay, who competed with Kiptum at the Valencia Marathon in 2022, finishing second behind the Kenyan star, said he was fortunate to run alongside Kiptum, adding that they became friends after that.

“His death has hit us hard, especially athletes in Tanzania, and we are all grieving and we are just praying for the family to be strong because Kiptum was an inspiration to all of us as a running community,” said Geay.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba said that athletes have always lifted Kenya’s flag high and there is need to develop good training facilities that will help them prepare for various global events. 

“The athletics fraternity were hit hard. I would say that the accident claimed a young man who had a bright future. We honoured Kiptum while he was alive and the government has come forward to honour him and we have extended this to his Rwandese Coach Gervais Hakizimana. 

“We shall be renovating the Kamariny Stadium to international standards and the works will also extend to Iten grounds and the same will happen in Chepkorio because we want to always remember Kiptum with the project,” said Namwamba.

Kiptum launched his marathon career in Valencia Marathon where he managed to win the race in a course record of 2:01:53 in 2022 before heading to London where he also managed to run another course record where he clocked 2:01:25. He would then head to the Chicago Marathon which has a flat course, and he lowered the previous record held by Eliud Kipchoge of 2:01:09 to 2:00:35.

Kiptum was focusing his eyes on the Rotterdam Marathon where he wanted to be the first man to run under two hours, a project that the whole world was waiting to see how it would unfold but his life was cut short through a road accident.