Olympics Star Edward Kiplangat Found Murdered In Brother's Car In Eldoret

Long-distance athlete Edward Kiplangat alias Benjamin from Elgeyo Marakwet County has been found murdered in Eldoret town.

Police positively identified the athlete and according to Moiben sub-county police commander Stephen Okal, Kiplangat's body was found with a deep knife cut on the neck.

The body was found in a car in Texas near Kimumu Secondary School along the Eldoret-Iten Road.

“Our officers are on the ground following crucial leads”, Okal told the media, adding that the victim was an athlete aged 37 years.

Edward Kiplangat in action during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. /FILE

The Police Commander further stated that the runner was found in his brother’s car and they both live in the same area, adding that detectives are pursuing leads in the case.

Kiplangat is a long-distance runner specialising in the 3,000m steeplechase and previously represented Uganda at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.

World Athletics Rankings placed him at 38th overall in the men's 3000m steeplechase and is ranked position 1,229 overall.

He has competed in a series of competitions including the Shanghai Samsung Diamond League, Lausanne Athletissima in Switzerland, Paris Meeting Areva and Hengelo Fanny Blankers-Koen Games in the Netherlands. 

Kiplagat took up running following the success of Boniface Kiprop, who is from the same village as Kiplagat, in the 2004 World Junior Championships. He began by competing in the 10,000 metres, but on the advice of his coach, he dropped down to the 1500 and 5000 m

He made his international debut at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships, having qualified by finishing 6th in the Ugandan Junior Cross Country Championships. That year he also qualified for the World Junior Championships where he set a new national junior record of 8:35.77, which he then lowered to 8:34.14 in the final, where he finished 6th.

In 2008, he finished 4th in the World Cross Country Championships. That year, he lowered the Uganda record to 8:16.06 and then 8:14.29 before finishing second in the World Junior Championships.

His 2009 season was disrupted by malaria and typhoid, but he still managed to further lower the Ugandan national record to 8:12.98.

He was again affected by malaria, and a boil on his leg, in 2010, but again lowered the Ugandan record to 8:03.81. He finished 4th at the 2010 Commonwealth Games

The 34-year-old received several accolades in the course of his 17-year career including World Under 20 Championships Silver medallist, African Championships Bronze medallist, and was ranked in the Top 8 category in the Commonwealth Games as well as the All-African Games.

The circumstances surrounding the incident have raised numerous questions and concerns within the tight-knit athletic community in Eldoret.

The murder bears near-similarities to Agnes Tirop, who was murdered in September 2021, weeks after she broke a world record in Germany. 

Tirop's body was found with multiple stab wounds at her home in Iten, signalling the brutality of the crime. Her husband, Ibrahim Rotich, is the main suspect in her murder and is still in custody and facing trial over the incident.