Fresh off his remarkable achievement in the Chicago Marathon, where he broke the world record with a stunning time of two hours and 35 seconds, Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum has expressed his eagerness to compete against Eliud Kipchoge in Paris, should he be selected to represent Kenya at the upcoming Olympics.
“I’m looking forward to competing with Eliud if I get selected to represent Kenya at the upcoming Olympics. I am ready to race with him,” declared Kiptum.
Kiptum’s record-breaking feat in Chicago shaved an impressive 34 seconds off the previous world record. This record was previously held by the two-time Olympic champion, Eliud Kipchoge.
The nation and the world watched in awe as Kiptum’s incredible performance redefined the possibilities of human endurance in long-distance running.
Proud to compete for Kenya
During a press conference in Nairobi on Tuesday, October 10, Kiptum was feted by the government on his return. The government, through the Ministry of Sports, further awarded him a substantial sum of Sh5 million in recognition of his outstanding achievement.
Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba, who represented the government, further reiterated their unwavering support for athletes like Kiptum.
“We want our athletes to be proud of wearing Kenyan colors. As the government, we want them to be proud to compete for Kenya. They should be proud of those four colors – black, red, green, and white. We want you to be proud of our national anthem. So, don’t even think of crossing the borders to go and compete for another country,” stated Ababu.
Kiptum’s achievement marks him as the second athlete to be honored by the Kenyan government in recent months.
In June 2023, Faith Kipyegon was similarly awarded a generous sum for her remarkable accomplishments, having broken two world records.
