Ahead of the London Marathon, athletes say the late Kelvin Kiptum, will always hold a special place in their hearts.
The Kenyan star runner won last year’s race, but died in a car crash in February at the age of 24, alongside his Rwandan coach, Gervais Hakizimana.
His death came just months after he became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours and one minute in Chicago, sent shockwaves through the sport.
Kiptum was reportedly planning a bid to run the 42-kilometre distance in under two hours in Rotterdam in April, a feat that has never been achieved in open competition.
“The course is called after his name. We are all remembering him now. We have put him in a special place in our heart. In a really short time, he tuned up the sport,” says Ethiopian Olympic gold medalist, Kenenisa Bekele.
In winning the London Marathon last year, Kiptum set a new record time for the event of two hours, one minute, and 25 seconds.
He is to be remembered before Sunday’s race with 30 seconds of applause.