T. NashipaeRotterdam Marathon pumps Ksh 9 million donation to Kelvin Kiptum Foundation
Reading Time: 3min | Sun. 25.02.24. | 10:22
The Foundation was started to honor the legacy of marathon icon Kelvin Kiptum
The organizers of the annual Rotterdam Marathon have announced a Ksh 9 million donation to the Kelvin Kiptum Foundation.
The Foundation was started to honor the legacy of marathon icon Kelvin Kiptum who passed away at a tender age of 24 years.
Before his untimely death, Kiptum had an illustrious career. In only three marathons, he had gone from being a budding Kenyan athlete to one of the most exciting athletes in road distance running.
The youngster lit the marathoning world aflame on Sunday, October 8, 2023, by running a record-breaking time in the Chicago Marathon subtracting 34 seconds from Eliud Kipchoge's previous best of 2:01:09.
The astounding record took him a stride closer to becoming the fastest man to break the two-hour barrier in the historic marathon. It was also the moment the world noticed his unusual talent.
That run left many tipping him to be the next marathon superstar and he became a favorite for gold at this year’s Olympics in Paris.
When he died on Sunday 11 February, he was just one race away from that dream. Kiptum was gearing up for the Rotterdam Marathon on April 14.
The run was likely to cement his fast-rising status, as he plotted to improve his personal best in the Dutch city.
As reported by Nation Sport, 50,000 athletes who had registered for the April 14 Rotterdam marathon received a message from the race organizers, announcing the launch of the Kelvin Kiptum Foundation.
The Foundation was launched by Golazo, a Brussels-based sports events and management giant, that manages the professional career of the 24-year-old.
"In memory of Kelvin Kiptum, Golazo, the organizer of the NN Marathon Rotterdam, has launched the Kelvin Kiptum Foundation," the message to the registered runners said. On Sunday, April 14, he would have been at the start together with you intending to try and improve his best time and drop below the magical mark of two hours.
With the death of Kiptum, the sports world loses a great athlete. But above all, the family loses a warm family man, someone who could offer a better future to his immediate community.
Golazo wants to continue supporting the family and Kelvin's immediate community. Kelvin's family (and his two young children) can count on support from the fund.
"The plans that Kelvin had in terms of investments in education and infrastructure will locally be picked up and developed. By establishing a marathon team and training facilities for young runners, the foundation offers them the opportunity for a possible future in athletics," the Rotterdam Marathon said in the message to athletes.
At the same time, the marathon organizers and Golazo noted that the Number One running bib which would be donned by Kiptum will not be used.
