2023 was quite the year for Kelvin Kiptum.
The 23-year-old marathoner became the first man to break the 2:01:09 record held by Eliud Kipchoge after winning the Chicago Marathon in October after setting a time of 2:00:35.
Kiptum’s achievement meant that he eclipsed Kipchoge as the world’s best marathoner.
However, Kiptum is not done and has trained his efforts to hoist Kenya’s flag even higher in future competitions.
But such achievements never come easy. Behind the scenes; Kiptum is a work dynamo often training beyond the ordinary to ensure he is in the best shape to compete against the very best.
Kiptum runs between 200 and 300 kilometers every week.
Initially, he was a self-trained runner before he sought the help of a former athlete from Rwanda; Gervais Hakizimana to be his coach.
Hakizimana lauds Kiptum for his dedication to the sport adding, "his life revolves around running, eating and sleeping".
In an interview, Kiptum disclosed that he lives away from his family and only visits once a week.
This according to the athlete is due to his busy schedule that requires him to be on track all week long.