- The sudden death of Kevin Kiptum left Eliud Kipchoge with untold fear for his family
- Kipchoge quickly became a villain in the hearts of the same countrymen who regarded him a hero
- Kiptum who was a world record holder crashed in February at Kaptagat along Elgeyo Marakwet-Ravine highway and died on the spot
The sudden death of Kevin Kiptum left Eliud Kipchoge with untold fear for his family following an ‘online hate campaign’ against him.
Kipchoge quickly became a villain in the hearts of the same countrymen who regarded him as a hero. They falsely connected him to Kiptum’s demise via road carnage.
Kiptum who was a world record holder crashed in February at Kaptagat along Elgeyo Marakwet-Ravine highway at 11 pm and died on the spot.
He was only 24 and full of life and energy. A majority of Kenyans viewed him as Kipchoge’s successor which fueled the villain syndrome following his death.
A section of social media users began to speculate that Kipchoge was part of a conspiracy to end Kiptum’s life. Their hypothesis was that Kiptum had successfully lowered the world’s best marathon record to 2 hours, 35 seconds in October 2023 at the Chicago Marathon.
Eliud Kipchoge Opens Up on Online Attack After Kiptum’s Death
Kenyan long-distance runner Kelvin Kiptum. Photo/CNN
Kipchoge, a double Olympic marathon champion while speaking months after Kiptum’s death said he was shocked that Kenyans turned against him.
Hearing propaganda that he had something to do with Kiptum’s passing on dulled his spirit.
“I was shocked that people [on] social media platforms are saying ‘Eliud is involved in the death of this boy’. That was my worst news ever in my life,” he told BBC Sport Africa.
He was threatened that his property would be razed down in his Eldoret hometown and training camp. But what made him fear most was that the threats included burning down his house and his family.
The 39-year-old did not report the matter to the police but he asked his wife to be extra cautious. Bike rides for his children stopped immediately and he could not allow anyone else to drop off or pick up his children in school.
He dropped and picked them up from school daily. His elderly mother also asked him to be careful because there was a lot of ‘bad things happening’.
Eliud Kipchoge Lost His Social Circle
Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin Marathon 2023. Photo/CNN
February was his hardest month and he lost almost all of his friends, most of whom bought the propaganda online. For a moment, Kipchoge was so lost about training because it required him to be out with people.
With all the bile he got online, he feared for his life but he still had to train regardless of what people were saying about him.
But, it was a sad affair seeing the people he thought had his back turned against him.
“It was really painful for me to learn even from my own people, my training mates, those who I have contact with, and the bad words are coming from them. I was really down to see that,” he stated.
How is Life Now?
His participation at the Tokyo Marathon on March 3, weeks after a sustained online attack took a hit. He finished 10th, his worst finish in his entire marathon career.
He couldn’t sleep for days when in Tokyo and it naturally affected his performance and it has taken a lot to recover. Despite that disappointment, he was selected for Kenya’s marathon squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Kipchoge, the only athlete to run a full marathon in under two hours is now concentrating on making further history at the Games by trying to win a third straight gold medal.
He is also adjusting to his new life without friends and also learning how to deal with negativity from online bullies. The Kenyan marathon legend is challenging social media regulators to do a better job at silencing bullies.
“If you report some accounts then it takes time for them to delete those accounts. They should act fast, get the facts, delete accounts. People [should] know that if you say something which is not good then your account will be deleted,” he implored.
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