The athletics world has been plunged into mourning following the death of Kenyan-born middle-distance runner Eliud Kipsang.
Kipsang passed away on Tuesday, June 10, with international outlets reporting that he passed away after suffering cardiac arrest.
According to reports, the athlete, who was based in Alabama in the US, was taken to a medical facility, but efforts to revive him proved futile.
His passing caught his close friends and relatives off guard, with tributes pouring in celebrating Kipsang as an exemplary athlete, particularly in the 1500m.
Born in Kapsang, Uasin Gishu County on September 9, 1996, Kipsang showed promise of becoming a top athlete from a young age. As early as 2019, he attended the Africa Championship before moving to the United States, where he joined college.
The public health major then rose to prominence while competing for the University of Alabama, where he made his mark in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) circuit between 2020 and 2023.
Kipsang continued his ascendancy, making his Crimson Tide debut at the SEC Championships, finishing 28th in the five-mile run with a time of 24:49.90, which was quite impressive for a beginner. After this debut, Kipsang enjoyed a stellar NCAA career. — a modest beginning to what would become a stellar NCAA career.
One of Kipsang's standout career moments was when he famously set the NCAA 1500m record with a time of 3:33.74. This record stood unmatched until it was broken earlier this year by American runner Liam Murphy on March 27.
His collegiate success eventually attracted the attention of sponsors, and once he turned professional, Kipsang signed with Adidas.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched following Kipsang's passing to help raise funds to repatriate his body to Kenya.
Notably, Kipsang becomes the latest Kenyan athlete whose promising career has been cut short whilst in the United States, coming just months after 24-year-old Joan Jepngetich tragically lost her life after a single-vehicle accident in the US on Christmas night, 2024.
The accident, which occurred at approximately 10:33 p.m American time (approximately 6:00 am Kenyan time), saw the Mercedes Benz Jepngetich was travelling in catch fire, moments after crashing into a tree.
