TOTAL REPORTAGE / The curse of Kenyan mid-distance runners - The Economist, 1843 Magazine
- Jonathan Rosen (United States)
The life and death of Kelvin Kiptum, who rose from obscurity to become the fastest marathon runner in history before he was killed in a car crash in early 2024. Reported over several weeks from Kenya’s Rift Valley, the piece unpacks Kiptum’s tale of rags-to-riches-to tragedy as it illuminates the wider tendency among Kenya's world-renowned long-distance athletes toward personal and financial struggle.