Samson Cheruiyot has broken his silence over the tragic death of his son, Kelvin Kiptum, the World Marathon record holder who passed away in a road accident on Sunday, February 11, 2024.

According to Cheruiyot, he was not aware that his son had breathed his last at the Kaptagat area along the Elgeyo Marakwet-Ravine Road until he tuned into the TV news.

“I got the news of my son’s death while I was watching the news. I went to the scene of the accident, but the police had taken the body to Eldoret,” Cheruiyot told Citizen TV.

Kiptum died alongside his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, a Rwandan national, along the Eldoret-Kaptagat road a few days after World Athletics ratified his record of 2:00:35—a record he set at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 8, 2023.

The 24-year-old chalked 34 seconds off the previous record of 2:01:09 set by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge on September 25, 2022, in Berlin.

Cheruiyot has called on the government to investigate the circumstances surrounding his son’s death, revealing that unknown people had recently visited his homestead in search of Kiptum.

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“There is a group of four people who came home looking for Kiptum, but they refused to identify themselves. I asked them to provide identification, but they opted to leave,” he said.