His name is Ken Kipsang Charles Kipkorir. The said incident was later on confirmed to the press by Bernard Okalia Bilai, South West Governor.
Kenyan athlete Charles Kipsang Kipkorir has died after completing the 29th edition of the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, taking the 16th position in the Senior Men category. Kipkorir, 32, collapsed several minutes after crossing the finish line at the Molyko Stadium and efforts by the medical team to revive him proved futile. Authorities had already handed over winners’ prizes and gifts when he was confirmed dead at the Buea Regional Hospital this evening.
According to South West Regional Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai, 33-year-old Kipsang was leading the race but began to feel unwell towards the end. Kipsang, competing in the Men’s Senior Category for his fourth time, was the first of more than 550 runners to reach the summit of the 4,095m Mount Cameroon and showed remarkable dominance throughout the race.
But he started showing signs of discomfort in the latter stages of the race. However, he declined to let paramedics check him over. “He developed a malaise and stopped during the race for some time. He was asked to get into the ambulance but he took some soda and continued to race,” explained Bilai to local media.
Kipsang appeared visibly exhausted in the final kilometer, but he completed the race, crossing the line in 16th position at the Molyko Stadium. But his condition deteriorated rapidly when he went to to podium to collect his medal. He collapsed and was pronounced dead on arrival at the local hospital. “It is a great loss for African athletics,” the governor said, pointing out that Kipsang has been on course to become the first Kenyan to win the race.
