Kelvin Kiptum's legacy lives on with two-hour challenge

On Sunday, the running world lost marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum at the age of 24 after he lost control of his car in Kaptagat, Kenya. Kiptum was one of the most promising athletes in the sport, setting the marathon world record of 2:00:35 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, and was slated to challenge the two-hour barrier at the 2024 Rotterdam Marathon.

In memory of Kiptum, the running community has come up with an idea to honour his legacy: a virtual two-hour run on April 14, the day he was scheduled to run Rotterdam.The challenge isn’t asking runners to go out and try to break the world record, but they can use the challenge as a long run for their upcoming race or see how far they can run in the elapsed time.The two-hour challenge also does not have to be a run; it could be a ride, or even a walk. Just be sure to tag #TwoHours4Kiptum on your Strava or social media post.

Kiptum had a rapid rise to superstardom in the sport, recording the fastest-ever marathon debut at the Valencia Marathon in 2022. Five months later, he broke Eliud Kipchoge’s course record at the 2023 London Marathon, where he ran an impressive negative split of 2:01:25. Then came the one he’ll most be remembered for–setting a world record of 2:00:35 at the Chicago Marathon last fall.“Athletics world mourns death of marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum” — Canadian Running Magazine

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After his world-record run, Kiptum said he never felt he was challenged by the marathon distance, and there was a fascination around what he might run in Rotterdam–a topic that will forever be debated, and a question that the world will never know the answer to. The running community will forever remember Kiptum and his drive to show people that anything is possible.

posted Saturday February 17th
by Running Magazine