A casket bearing the remains of the late Kelvin Kiptum, the world marathon record holder, during prayers and viewing of the body at Kapkenda Girls High School in Keiyo South, Elgeyo Marakwet County on February 22 2024., and will later be taken to his home in Chepsamo Village, in the county. Kiptum died together with his coach Gervais Hakizimana following a road crash at Flax on the Eldoret-Kaptagat-Eldama Ravine road a week ago.
In an area where seeing people running by the road in the morning is commonplace, there was no such sight
The body was placed at Iten Stadium and members of the public and the large group of athletes in Iten came for viewing
In all, Kiptum’s penultimate day before returning to dust was a day marked with gospel songs and dirges, among them ‘Cha Kutumaini Sina’
It was pace-making, but in a different way from what happens on marathon tracks.
It involved big-name athletes walking in front of a hearse carrying the body of marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum. If this were a marathon, Kiptum would soon have joined the leading pack, seeking to smash yet another record.
