Kelvin Kiptum’s Rotterdam bib 1 to be retired this weekend

Just weeks after breaking the world record in Chicago, Kelvin Kiptum had announced that he would attempt to lower the time to a sub 2 hours at the NN Rotterdam Marathon set for 14 April.

Kiptum, who passed away in a tragic road accident in February, will, however, be posthumously honoured during the race that comes 63 days after his demise.

Zepp Health Corporation, a global leader in smart wearables and health technology, that had a partnership with the Kelvin Kiptum Foundation announced that his family will get a special trophy. The firm manufactures the AmazFit Cheetah Pro watch that had Kiptum as a brand ambassador before his demise.

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What's more, the organisers will retire the world record holder's bib number 1.

"The finish line timer will also display Kelvin's name when it reaches 1:59:59, serving as a poignant reminder of his relentless pursuit of excellence," the statement reads in part.

Kiptum, 24, had announced that he would attempt to run the April 14 Rotterdam Marathon in under two hours, seeking to become the first man to dip under two hours in a competitive marathon.

On 11 February, however, the rising star tragically lost his life in a road accident that also claimed his coach, Gervais Hakizimana's life. He is said to have lost control of his car and veered off the road, hitting a tree.

Kiptum won all three marathons he ran, including two World Marathon Majors (WMM) between December 2022 and October 2023. His times were three of the seven fastest marathon times, setting a course record of less than 2 hours 2 minutes in each race.

He ran the fastest-ever marathon debut at the 2022 Valencia Marathon, becoming only the third man in history to break two hours and two minutes and setting the then-fourth-quickest time ever.

He followed it up four months later with the second-fastest marathon in history at 2:01:25, 16 seconds outside the world record, at the 2023 London Marathon (WMM).

At the 2023 Chicago Marathon six months later in October 2023, he broke the world record by 34 seconds with a time of 2:00:35, a mark ratified on 6 February 2024—five days before his death.