Thousands of runners will cross the finish line at the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon this year, but there will be a noticeable absence as they race on the world record course -- the runner who set that record last year, just months before his death.
In 2023, Kelvin Kiptum cemented his legacy in the running world with a record-breaking finish at the Chicago Marathon, becoming the first runner to finish the race in under two hours and one minute. His celebration was cut short when the young phenom and his coach were tragically killed in a car crash in Kenya just months after the incredible feat.
"The 2 hours and 35 seconds that Kelvin Kiptum spent on Chicago’s streets last October will be moments forever remembered in the history of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon," organizers wrote in a tribute video posted to social media Tuesday. "This year, as we acknowledge the loss and void at the start line, we want to remember his legacy. Kiptum pushed the sport of marathoning beyond what anyone thought was possible, and what he would have done next is what leaves us all with wonder and often sadness. Instead, we challenge you all to set your own record as you run in his footsteps, on a World Record course."
Marathon organizers have revealed plans to honor Kiptum's memory, offering each runner a memorial sticker that can be added to bibs. The stickers will be available to runners at the Abbott Health and Fitness Expo this week.
The event will also honor Kiptum’s legacy with a moment of silence at the start line on race day, Oct. 13.
"This year, we run for him," the marathon wrote in the tribute video.
Kiptum, who was set to be a superstar of long-distance running and was a top contender for gold at the Olympics in Paris this year, was killed along with his coach in a car crash in February. Their vehicle was the only one involved in the crash and Kiptum was driving when it veered off a road and into a ditch before hitting a tree, police said.
Kiptum was widely considered one of the most exciting prospects to emerge in road running in years, having broken the world record in only his third appearance in an elite marathon. His record, set at last year’s Chicago Marathon, was ratified by international track federation World Athletics just one week before his death.
The loss reverberated through Kenya, where runners are the biggest sports stars. Kenyans have also grown used to tragic tales involving their top athletes after a number have died in road crashes, other accidents and domestic violence cases.
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“He was only 24,” Kenyan President William Ruto said in a statement offering his condolences. “Kiptum was our future.”
Kiptum had immediate success by running the fastest time ever by a marathon debutant at the 2022 Valencia Marathon. The following year, he won the London and Chicago races, two of the most prestigious marathons in the world. He set a new course record at the London Marathon and then became the fastest marathoner in the world months later.
