ELGEYO MARAKWET, Kenya — Two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge has opened up about the emotional toll caused by false accusations that spread online after the death of fellow Kenyan athlete Kelvin Kiptum in a road accident in 2024.
Kiptum, who was 24, died alongside his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, on February 11, 2024, after a late-night car crash in the Kaptagat area along the Elgeyo Marakwet–Ravine road.
According to police reports at the time, the accident occurred at around 11 p.m., with both men dying on the spot due to the impact of the crash.
In the days that followed the tragedy, Kipchoge says social media rumours falsely linked him to the incident, triggering threats against him and his family.
Speaking in a video posted on the Engage Talk YouTube platform on Wednesday, the marathon legend recounted the moment he first learned about Kiptum’s death.
“One day, I went to training in the morning. We were three. When I arrived at our gate, our boy who was always in our gate approached me and told me Kelvin Kiptum has died through an accident, with his coach,” Kipchoge said.
“I got shocked. I went to the house, got up the stairs for only 15 minutes. When I came down, I opened my phone… social media was everywhere that Eliud killed Kiptum through road accident. And I was really down. Down to my knees.”
The decorated athlete said he struggled to understand why he would be accused of harming a fellow runner who had only recently risen to global prominence.
“Because I asked, I’m the oldest athlete in this country, and the guy has only spent three years in running. I have spent 23 years in running, how on earth can I kill a small boy?” he said.
Kipchoge revealed that the allegations quickly escalated into threats, forcing his family to change their daily routines for safety.
“I was threatened, my family was threatened. We even changed; my boys used to bike to school. We changed, and my wife started to drop them to school because of a lot of threats actually around the estate and the whole community,” he said.
The accusations also took on an ethnic dimension, he added, despite his long-standing stance against tribal politics.
“For the last 20 years, I have never been tribal because I have never attended a meeting where we discuss another community. But because I am a Nandi, I was discussed that this is the man who kills people,” he said.
The marathon star said the hostility even affected how people interacted with him in public.
“When I was in town the following morning, everybody was actually running away, saying ‘this one might actually take our lives again,’” he recalled.
Despite the turmoil, Kipchoge said he was relieved that his children were largely shielded from the controversy.
“You know, a lot happened. But what actually made me happy again is that my boys did not recognize what was going on,” he said, noting that his daughter, who was in Form Four at Kapsabet Girls High School at the time, had limited access to social media.
He also drew strength from his mother, whose words of encouragement helped him navigate the difficult period.
“One morning, I got a call from my mother. She told me, ‘a lot is going on, but take heart, these things will pass,’” he said.
Kipchoge described the experience as a powerful lesson in resilience, truth and the importance of genuine friendships.
“What I’m trying to say is this: don’t expect a good life. There are problems and there are real problems,” he said.
The marathon great added that his focus now remains on using sport to inspire people around the world.
“My aim is to change the life of a human being. I need to change over three billion people’s lives in this world through running and through sport,” he said.
Kipchoge said the ordeal also revealed who truly stood by him during the crisis.
“Let me tell you, I have over three million followers, but when everything was going on on social media, few called me, few came to my camp,” he said.
“Surround yourself with the best people. Get two, three real friends who can provide the real solutions when those real problems come.”
