‘I was threatened’ – Eliud Kipchoge recounts traumatic events after Kelvin Kiptum’s death
By Joel Masibo, March 12, 2026World marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge has finally spoken about the rumours that circulated after the tragic death of fellow runner Kelvin Kiptum in 2024.
Kiptum lost his life in a road crash on Sunday, February 11, 2024, an accident that also killed his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, and plunged the global athletics community into mourning.
Kiptum dies
The young Kenyan athlete, aged 24, lost control of his car before it veered off the road and crashed into a tree. Both Kiptum and his coach died at the scene, while another passenger survived with injuries.
The tragedy occurred only days after Kiptum’s marathon world record of 2:00:35 had been officially confirmed, abruptly ending a promising career many believed would eventually break the two-hour marathon barrier at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Following the incident, social media was flooded with unfounded allegations suggesting that Kipchoge had been involved in Kiptum’s death. After remaining silent for a long time, the two-time Olympic champion has now addressed the claims in a recent video appearance, explaining how the accusations deeply affected both him and his family.
Speaking recently on Engage talk aired on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, Kipchoge said he was stunned when he learned that some people were linking him to the young athlete’s death. He recalled that when he first heard the news about the crash, he initially thought it involved someone else from his village who shared the same name, only to later discover that it was the world-record holder.
After checking social media platforms and seeing the allegations circulating online, Kipchoge said he felt devastated by the narrative that had formed around him.
He also disclosed that the situation escalated to the point where his family began receiving threats, forcing them to adjust their daily routines for safety.
Traumatic moment
“I was really down. Down on my knees. I was the oldest athlete in this country. I spent 23 years running; the guy had only spent three years running. How on earth can I finish a small boy? I was threatened; my family was threatened. My boys used to bike to school; we even changed, and my wife started dropping them off at school because of the threats in the estate and in the whole community,” he said.
Kipchoge further revealed that the rumours changed how some people perceived him in public, with some individuals even avoiding him when they encountered him in town because of the accusations circulating online.
“A lot happened. What made me happy is that my boys did not know what was happening. My girl was in Form Four at that time. The good thing with students is they do not carry phones, so she did not hear anything. One morning I got a call from my mum that a lot is happening and this too shall pass. I did not know a 70-year-old woman could get all this from social media, but she did,” he added.
Kipchoge is the 2016 and 2020 Olympic marathon champion and was the world record holder in the marathon from 2018 to 2023, until that record was broken by the late Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.