Eliud Kipchoge, Kelvin Kiptum | Cruel accusations: “We will burn your family”

In February, it became known that the marathon world record holder, Kelvin Kiptum, died in a tragic car accident.

The running phenomenon was only 24 years old.

Afterwards, there has been a lot of speculation about what actually happened.

Now the Kenyan superstar Eliud Kipchoge opens up about the cruel accusations he has had against him.

– I was shocked when people on social media believed that I had something to do with the death, the 39-year-old tells BBC Sport Africa.

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Violent threats

Kipchoge and the late Kiptum were expected to fight a durable duel for the marathon gold in this summer’s Paris Olympics.

This must be part of what the accusations are based on, namely the star rivalry between them, says Kipchoge.

– It was the worst news I have ever received. I have been sent a lot of ugly things. That they will burn our training facility, burn the investments I have made in the city, burn my house and burn my family.

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– I do not have the power to tell the police that I am in danger. I therefore had to check that my family were safe, and tell them that they had to be extra vigilant.

Kipchoge estimates that he has lost “closer to 90%” of his circle of friends following the sordid accusations.

– It has been painful to experience it, from my own people, training partners and people I care about. That they say these ugly things about me.

Burden for the children

The 39-year-old further says that his own children have felt the serious accusations on his body.

– I was very scared for my children, especially when they had to get to and from school. Sometimes they cycle around the area, but they had to stop doing that. We started driving them to and from everywhere they were going, he says.

And continues:

– It is hard for my sons to hear that “your father has killed someone”.

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He says that the accusations have been a great strain, and it has affected the sporting achievements recently. Among other things, he finished in 10th place in the Tokyo Marathon, which is his weakest position since 2013.

Kipchoge, on the other hand, has been selected for the marathon distance in the Olympics for Kenya, where he can potentially win his third Olympic gold.

– I want to be the first to win three marathon golds in a row, he concludes.