Kenyan athlete Joseph Kiprono was hit by a car as he was leading the 21km race at the Medellin Flowers Marathon in Colombia. Kiprono was only 1.5km away from the finish line when he was struck.

Joseph Kiprono, 30, was treated at the roadside after the collision and taken to hospital with cuts and bruises. The driver who hit the athlete is said to have “violated a road closure”.

Speaking about the incident afterwards, race organisers said: “Joseph Kiprono was brought in by the emergency staff of the Medellin Marathon. The patient is stable, has multiple contusions and abrasions in soft tissues, has no fractures of any kind, and orthopedic doctors reviewed him.”

They went on to add that despite the incident, Kiprono is “in good health and out of danger”.

The runner was a favourite to win, based on his performance at the same event in 2015. Kenya still took the gold, as Kiprono’s compatriot Daniel Muindi Muteti went on to win the race in 1:03:45.

Sadly, however, tragedy nevertheless ensued when race organisers confirmed that a 38-year-old amateur runner, Juan Camilo Arboleda, died from heart complications at the finish line.

Source : This Is Africa