Kiptum’s death shows need to have professionals managing our top athletes
The vehicle which World Marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum, his Rwandese coach Garvais Hakizimana and another occupant were traveling in before they were involved in a fatal road crash on the Eldoret-Eldama Ravine road on February 11, 2024.
What you need to know:
- My sincere condolences to Kiptum’s family, the Kenyan and global athletics fraternity and the wider sports industry during this difficult time.
The untimely death of Kelvin Kiptum on Sunday night has sent the entire country into a sombre mood, with scores of Kenyans taking to social media to mourn the 24-year-old, who until his demise, was the world marathon record holder, a staggering two hours and 35 seconds set while winning the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
At only 24, Kiptum had won two world marathon majors titles following his triumphs in London and Chicago last year. Earlier in December 2022, he registered the fastest-ever marathon debut after winning the Valencia Marathon in 2:01:53.
It is important to note that his victory in the 2023 London Marathon also saw him set a new course record of 2:01:25.
These three marathons had elevated Kiptum to the high table of marathon running, and with age firmly on his side, he was destined for a bright future, but it was not to be! Many had hailed him as the heir to Eliud Kipchoge’s throne as one of the Greatest Of All Time (G.O.A.T) marathoners.
The general expectation in the athletics world was that Kiptum would have run the marathon in under two hours at the Rotterdam Marathon in April. That historic moment could now take ages to arrive, given that Kiptum was undoubtedly a generational talent going by his consistency at the early stages of his career.
It has been reported that Kiptum was on the wheels of his Toyota Premio alongside his coach Gervais Hakizimana, and a lady identified as Sharon Kosgei when they veered off the road, into a ditch and finally stopped by a tree. While Kiptum and Hakizimana did not survive the accident, Kosgei was lucky to escape with minor injuries and is now recovering at home.
Kiptum’s net value is certainly in the hundreds of millions at the moment going by his winning bonuses and endorsement deals. I couldn’t help but think of how Kiptum could have avoided this accident if he had a chauffeur to drive him around when going about his errands.
Did he have to drive at night with a serious assignment like the upcoming Rotterdam Marathon just a month away?
If you look at how Kiptum conquered the Valencia, London and Chicago marathons, he did it in negative splits, meaning his second half was always faster than the first.
His unique ability to take control of races from the 21km mark and control the pace to the finish line lends credence to the fact that this was a generational talent in our hands.
The mere fact that he had mastered this tactic without relying on pacemakers further stresses the need to protect such talents at all costs.
Athletes, just like other ordinary human beings, have social needs such as entertainment and interaction. Reliable reports indicate that Kiptum, a Manchester United fan, was rushing back to camp since he had a morning training session the next day after watching an English Premier League match between United and Aston Villa.
I know that in the Rift Valley, where humility is measured through many unique parameters, having a personal chauffeur could be misconstrued, but I dare say an athlete of Kiptum’s stature can easily afford one on full-time. This should actually be a necessity and not luxury.
In the modern world of sports, players and athletes are considered assets for their respective teams. Therefore, a full team must be constituted to work behind the scenes and manage our top athletes to ensure they maintain high standards of professionalism.
And it doesn’t stop at a chauffeur. Other professionals such as personal coach, nutritionists, chefs, physiotherapists, strength and conditioning coach, social media experts, photographers, communication experts, designers, brand managers and marketers should be a mandatory requirement for an athlete who has the rare honour of being a world record holder.
Once you get to that level, it’s no longer business as usual, and it’s high time our athletes embrace the reality that sports is big business, hence the need to invest in these professionals.
Sports is such a short career, and with a proper team of professionals on board, athletes can reap maximum commercial value from their achievements on the track and road.
If anything, coming up with a team of professionals will also create employment for locals, which would significantly change the lives of the families involved.
It's painful that we had to lose a top talent like Kiptum through a road accident. I’m not saying that the chauffeur would have avoided the accident, but it’s safe to say that having him on the wheels would have reduced the risk of speeding significantly. After all, as the designated driver, he only has one job; to ensure that he drives the athlete safely as he goes about his errands.
Allow me to end here as I had high hopes of Kiptum dominating the marathon for a long time, starting with a two-hour performance at the Rotterdam Marathon and gold in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this year.
I hope that we won’t lose another top athlete through road accidents, yet this can be easily avoided by having proper teams running the affairs of our athletes.
My sincere condolences to Kiptum’s family, the Kenyan and global athletics fraternity and the wider sports industry during this difficult time.
May Kiptum’s soul rest in eternal peace. Gone too soon champ!
