Kiptum’s Widow Speaks After Tragic Accident
Tributes are still flowing in following the tragic death of Kelvin Kiptum, the World Marathon record holder, in a road accident on Sunday night. Asenath Cheruto, his widow, shared that her late husband had ambitious plans for their family.
Asenath mentioned that Kiptum was currently constructing a family residence in the upscale Hillside residential area in Eldoret, a popular choice among athletes. The couple is awaiting the county government’s approval of the house plans and aims to finish the construction by June.
Asenath expressed profound sorrow as she recounted Kelvin’s affection and dedication to his family, unveiling him as a compassionate individual who harbored a deep love for his kin.
“We had good plans. He even planned to take me with him for the Rotterdam Marathon on April 14 this year,” she told Gossipa2z on Monday.
She described the final moments she spent with her husband, recalling that he departed at 4 am on a typical Saturday morning for training at the Fluorspar camp. He was expected to come back home on Monday.
She had said her farewells, wishing him an enjoyable training session, before returning to bed. Around 10 am, he would give her a call to convey his fatigue from the training.
Despite his commitment to take his wife and children for an outing on Sunday, he couldn’t fulfill the promise due to a headache after his training session, as explained by the widow. She recounted that they stayed in contact over the phone until around 8 pm on Sunday.
They conversed at approximately 4 pm, during which he mentioned his plans to undergo training with his coach. Later, at around 8 pm, he spoke with the children, assuring them that he would acquire wristwatches for them by Monday, fulfilling their request.
He had committed to phoning her at halftime of the English Premier League game featuring Manchester and Aston Villa. She had gone to bed, but her mother-in-law woke her with knocks just past 11 pm, revealing that her husband’s car had been seen in a wooded area in Kaptagat.
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The family initially received inaccurate information suggesting that the athlete might have been a victim of a carjacking. In response, they swiftly gathered and headed to the scene. Ultimately, they arrived at Racecourse Hospital, where they were confronted with the distressing revelation of the athlete’s unexpected death.
The widow mentioned that her late husband had great confidence in achieving a time of less than two hours in the races scheduled for this year.
As reported by teammates and coaches who closely worked with him, Kiptum exhibited a superior level of fitness compared to his condition during the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
He had a strong affection for his career in athletics and engaged in training sessions twice. According to reports, he was described as a committed and enthusiastic athlete who also held a profound appreciation for his young family.
Coach Koech remembered their joint training session the previous Saturday, during which they extensively discussed the upcoming April marathon and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Additionally, they set aside some time to capture photographs as the athlete insisted on doing so.
“He had very high hopes of performing better in this year’s races,” said coach Koech who has trained with him at the Camp -Rosa training camp in Kaptagat since 2019.
“We had talked about how to prepare for the races, and we agreed to rest on Sunday and meet again on Monday for another training,” said Koech.
Rotich, who has been training alongside Kiptum since 2019 in both Iten and Kaptagat, mentioned that fellow athletes gained valuable insights from him, finding him to be a source of inspiration.
Kiptum’s Widow Speaks After Tragic Accident