Hommam Al Nassim 
Kenyan marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum and his trainer, Gerve Hakisimana, have been killed in a traffic accident in the west of the country, police in Kenya said.
Kiptum, 24, set his record of two hours and 35 seconds on just his third attempt at the Chicago Marathon last October, 34 seconds behind compatriot Eliod Kipchoge.
Kiptom began his career as a sprinter in 2016, and in 2019, he ran two very fast half marathons in the space of two weeks in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Belfort, France, with excellent results.
Kiptom started running more than 250 kilometers a week, a high figure, even for professionals. He ran his first official marathon in Valencia, in late 2022, clocking 2:01:53 hours.
Kiptum’s death is reminiscent of the shocking death of Kenyan marathon runner Samuel Wangiru at a similar age, a 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medallist who was also killed in 2011 after falling from a balcony.