Kelvin Kiptum, Kenya’s world marathon record holder, will be put to rest on Friday in the country’s athletic heartland after passing away in a vehicle accident.

President William Ruto and World Athletics director Sebastian Coe are likely to attend Kiptum’s funeral in the Rift Valley, where he was born, trained, and died.

On February 11, the father of two drove off the road and crashed into a tree, only months after surpassing the marathon record in Chicago in October, shocking the sports world.

He completed the distance in two hours and 35 seconds, shaving 34 seconds off the previous record established by his Kenyan adversary, marathon superstar Eliud Kipchoge.

Kiptum only ran in three marathons, but he won all of them, setting three of the seven fastest times in the event.

His unexpected demise has left Kenya and the global sports community reeling.

Hundreds gathered Thursday in his native hamlet of Chepkorio, western Kenya, to pay heartfelt respect to the budding star who had been the overwhelming choice for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Fans and athletes lined the roads, some in quiet, others chanting hymns, as Kiptum’s casket was driven by a hearse to Iten, the famed high-altitude training location in the Rift Valley.

Coe, who arrived in Eldoret on Thursday, said he was mourning “an extraordinary young life” stopped in his prime.

“Kelvin’s achievements were extraordinary. That he should have scaled such heights at such a young age in itself is almost unique,” he said.