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The world of athletics is mourning the death Kenyan marathoner Charles Kipsang Kipkorir who collapsed and later passed away moments after completing a race in Cameroon on Saturday, February 24.
Participating in the 29th edition of the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, Kipkorir, who initially led the race, faced difficulties near the finish line, ultimately finishing in 16th place, according to Cameroonian Governor Bernard Okalai Bilia. Shortly after crossing the finish line, the 33-year-old athlete collapsed, suspected to have suffered a heart attack.
Despite immediate first aid administered by medics at Molkyo Stadium to stabilize Kipkorir, he was swiftly rushed to Buea Regional Hospital. Governor Bilia expressed uncertainty about the exact cause, stating, “We cannot say exactly what happened. We might believe that it is something like a heart attack.”
His death comes barely two weeks after another Kenyan marathoner Kelvin Kiptum died in a tragic accident.
A star of the event, Kipkorir had been the first foreign athlete to register for the historic Cameroon mountain race, Africa’s oldest international athletic competition. His untimely death marks a tragic loss for the athletic community, as he was in the prime of his career at the time of his passing.