Athlete Collapses and Dies After Race

Athlete Collapses and Dies After Race

Athlete Collapses and Dies After Race

After learning that marathoner Charles Kipsang Kipkorir had fallen and passed away  just moments after finishing a tough race in Cameroon on Saturday, February 24,  Kenyans awoke to somber news on Sunday. Participating in the 29th Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, Kipkorir reportedly  passed away during resuscitation, according to Cameroonian media sources.

The competitor had built up a significant lead during the race, but with only a few meters still to go, he began to slow down due to periods of trouble. Later, according to Cameroonian Governor Bernard Okalai Bilia, Kipkorir would place sixteenth. The Kenyan athlete fainted in what seemed to be a heart attack after crossing the finish line.

The Kenyan athlete was stabilized by on-call medical personnel at Molkyo Stadium with first aid before being sent to Buea Regional Hospital.

“We cannot say exactly what happened. We might believe that it is something like a heart attack,” Bilia remarked moments after Kipkorir’s death was confirmed.

“We were informed that when he was going to collect his prize, he fell and collapsed. They carried him to the Regional Hospital, he had already passed away.”

Kipkorir was the star of the event, having been the first foreign athlete to register for the Cameroon mountain race, Africa’s oldest international athletic competition. At the time of his passing, Kipkorir was 33 years old and at the peak of his career.

Kipkorir had previously competed in races such as the Casablanca Half Marathon, the Bali Marathon, and the Kuala Lumpur Marathon. His passing occurred just two weeks after Kenya lost Kelvin Kiptum, the world record marathon runner, in a traffic accident.