Kiptum, Kenyan coached by Rwanda’s Hakizimana, sets new ‘Marathon World Record’
Monday, October 09, 2023
Kenyan athlete Kelvin Kiptum completed the Chicago Marathon in two hours and 35 seconds breaking the world record on Sunday, October 8. COURTESY

Kenyan athlete Kelvin Kiptum etched his name in the annals of marathon history by breaking the men's marathon world record on Sunday, October 8, during the 45th edition of the Chicago Marathon.

The 23-year-old sensation accomplished this feat by surpassing the previous record held by Eliud Kipchoge, outpacing it by more than 30 seconds.

Kiptum who is coached by a former Rwandan athlete, Gervais Hakizimana, completed the marathon in two hours and 35 seconds.

According to World Athletics, the international governing body for the sport of athletics Hakizimana boasts a career as a former Rwandan athlete who ran in international competitions dating back to 2007. His most recent appearance was at the Semi Marathon Coulee Verte in Niort, France, in 2019.

"He's very strong. He does all the training properly. Every week, Eliud Kipchoge does between 180 and 220 km. Kelvin Kiptum runs between 250 and 280, sometimes more than 300 km. It's an adventure.," Hakizimana told AFP.

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Following his victory, Kiptum expressed his jubilation, saying: "I feel so happy. A world record was not in my mind today."

This achievement came in the wake of Kelvin Kiptum&039;s previous victories, marking his third consecutive triumph over a 26.2-mile (42.195 km) marathon distance.

His journey began with a debut victory in December 2022 at the Valencia Marathon.

He continued to impress by securing a win in the 2023 London Marathon, narrowly missing out on breaking another world record, finishing just 16 seconds shy of Eliud Kipchoge's current world record time of 2:01:09, set in Berlin in September 2022.

Kiptum and his coach former Rwandan athlete, Gervais Hakizimana pose for a picture after the record breaking race.