London Marathon to Honor Late World Record Holder Kelvin Kiptum

London, UK — The London Marathon will pay special tribute this Sunday to the late marathon world record holder, Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum, who tragically died in a car accident in February alongside his coach, Rwanda's Gervais Hakizimana. Kiptum, only 24 years old at the time of his passing, was celebrated for his remarkable achievements in the world of long-distance running.

Kiptum was renowned for setting records in all three marathons he competed in during his brief yet impactful career. He had set the course record at last year's London Marathon and was looking forward to defending his title this year. His record-breaking performance in Chicago, where he ran the fastest marathon in history with a time of 2:00.35, had cemented his status as one of the sport's greats. Additionally, Kiptum set the fastest debut marathon time at his first race in Valencia.

The London Marathon's event director, Hugh Brasher, spoke with BBC Sport Today about the planned tributes: "What we will be doing... is celebrating him," Brasher said. "And we will be saying some words beforehand and asking all the participants to participate in 30 seconds of applause for Kelvin - for the life that we didn't know, for the man that we didn't know, but also for what he had achieved, for the man that he was and for the tragic passing of his life earlier this year."

Last Sunday, the Rotterdam Marathon also honored Kiptum, with participants, including his wife Asenath Rotich, observing a minute's silence in his memory. The London Marathon will continue this gesture of remembrance, highlighting Kiptum's legacy and the deep loss felt within the athletic community.