Departed superstar harboured dreams of racing in Rotterdam

Kelvin Kiptum looked resplendent in black suit, crisp white shirt and blue bow-tie at the official World Athletics Awards hotel in Monaco.

Kiptum was all smiles smiling and seemed to be in a state of awe at the ambiance around  the awards ceremony in the Monaco principality.

He responded with, “asante” -- thank you, when Nation Sport complimented his outfit of choice for the glitzy ceremony.

Kiptum enjoyed taking photos with his fellow athletes and at one point stood shoulder to shoulder with sprint sensation American Noah Lyles.

It was almost like catching lightning in a bottle -- the fastest man on the planet in 42km standing next to one of the fastest man in over 100m.

Kiptum savoured each moment at the WA awards ceremony in Monaco on December 11.

It was a defining moment in his career when he was crowned the World Athlete of the Year Men’s out of Stadia after breaking the marathon record stopping the timer at 2 hours and 35 seconds in Chicago in 2023.

It was Kiptum’s first time in Monaco and he relished receiving the accolade.

“This is my first time in Monaco. I am feeling very well. This year has been good to me, being nominated for the world athlete of the year is such a wonderful experience. I had a good outing in London, I ran in Chicago and  it’s been a good year,” he said in Monaco last December.

Kiptum also reflected on his decision not to defend his title at the 2024 London Marathon and opted to race in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

The Rotterdam Marathon is sponsored by Dutch financial institution NN and organised Golazo which was his management. He was targeting to write more history by becoming the first man to dip under two hours in an official race.

“I went to Rotterdam in 2019, I liked the place, the course is flat, it has always been in my mind to run in Rotterdam.”

Kiptum, who was born in Chepsamo in Elgeyo Marakwet, has had a meteoric rise in long-distance running. He held three of the seven fastest times in the history of the marathon.

An Olympic medal in Paris was one of his key targets this season before his life was tragically cut short in a road accident on Sunday. Kiptum had been selected in the provisional 10-man Kenya team for the Paris Summer Games. It looked one of the strongest teams that Kenya had selected for the quadrennial event.

The team included double Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, 2022 London Marathon champion Amos Kipruto, double New York Marathon champion and three-time World Half Marathon winner Geoffrey Kamworor, 2023 Berlin Marathon runners-up Vincent Chepkemoi, 2022 Rotterdam Marathon second-place finisher Timothy Kiplagat, amongst others.

Kiptum was hopeful that the final team that would be selected by the National Olympic Committee of Kenya and Athletics Kenya would sweep the podium on August 11 in Paris.