On the rugged roads of Kenya's Rift Valley, marathon world-record breaker Kelvin Kiptum raced his way to global stardom—only to become the latest in a tragic line of elite runners whose dreams have been cut short by the very pressures that come with sudden success. In a lengthy piece for the Economist, Jonathan W. Rosen layers the larger story of what bedevils some of Kenya's best runners between a recounting of Kiptum's swift rise and untimely death. The 24-year-old, who shattered the marathon world record in Chicago in 2023 and was seen as a likely candidate for breaking the 2-hour barrier, lost control of his car and died in the ensuing crash late one night in February 2024.
Kiptum's story is emblematic of both the promise and peril facing Kenyan long-distance runners, many of whom hail from the Rift Valley's Kalenjin community. A combination of altitude, genetics, and a culture steeped in running has produced a disproportionate share of the world's fastest marathoners. But with sudden success comes risk: athletes often find themselves targets for scams, financial exploitation, and personal pressures, with several high-profile deaths and tragedies—including car accidents, murders, and suicides—rocking the running community in recent years. Kiptum himself had quickly amassed wealth through race winnings and sponsorships, but struggled with contractual disputes and the trappings of new money. (Read the full story for much more on the "curse of Eldoret"—the city where most runners train.) (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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