The government has awarded Kelvin Kiptum Sh5 million for breaking the World Marathon record.
Kiptum was awarded on Tuesday by Sport and Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba in an event held at Weston Hotel in Nairobi.
Kiptum became the first person in history to run a marathon in under two hours and one minute breaking the previous record held by two-time Olympian Eliud Kipchoge of 2:01:09 at the 2022 Berlin Marathon.
He broke the record at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday.
Kiptum said he was delighted that he broke the world record and he was glad for the support he had gotten from his family, friends and trainers.
“I am happy for the support I have received from my family, my trainers, the ministry and my managers Golazo,” he said.
“I did not change anything in my training to break the record I just worked hard. The more you work hard the greater the results. The world record to me speaks a lot to me. I was aiming at breaking it in 2030 but unfortunately, it has come early.”
The athlete now has his eyes set on next year's Olympics in Paris, France.
In June, President William Ruto announced that going forward all record-breaking Kenyan athletes will receive a reward of Sh5 million each.
Ruto said he had instructed the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Arts to move away from crowding the Sports Fund with other requirements and it be dedicated solely, to matters of sports, arts and the creative economy.
He also announced that he had called for a review of the reward scheme for sports.
"I have also asked the ministry that the government of Kenya should review the reward scheme so that we can recognise and reward appropriately the men and women who attain excellence in sports, arts and creative economy," Ruto said.
"And going forward we have decided as a government that any Kenyan who participates in a world event and breaks a world record, unlike in the past, when there was no recognition, going forward, for every world record broken by a Kenyan, the government of Kenya is going to award five million shillings."
