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Former Alabama Track Star Dead at 28

Originally posted on Men's Journal
By Miguel A. Melendez | Last updated Jun 13, 2025 5:34 PM ET

Eliud Kipsang, a former University of Alabama track star who earned SEC Runner of the Year honors in 2021, has died. He was 28.

The school announced that Kipsang died Tuesday evening. According to a GoFundMe set up to help cover his funeral expenses, Kipsang went into cardiac arrest on Friday and was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, WA., where he was admitted into the ICU. He died four days later.

Donations to the former Adidas pro runner's GoFundMe "will go directly toward bringing Eliud home and easing the financial burden on his grieving family."

Kipsang won the gold medal in 2021 at the SEC Outdoor Championships in the 1,500m and the SEC Cross Country Championships. His 3:33.74 mark in the men's 1,500m during the 2022 season still remains in the top five collegiately. It also remains a school record.

EUGENE, OR - JUNE 11: Eliud Kipsang of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Yared Neguse of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish competes in the 1500 meters during the Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Hayward Field on June 11, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)Justin Tafoya/Getty Images

Kipsang was born in Kenya on Sept. 9, 1996. He would go on to compete in the Africa Championship trials in 2019. The school shared that, to this day, Kipsang holds six top-10 all-time placements in Alabama track and field history.

"We are heartbroken by the passing of Eliud Kipsang, one of the most gifted athletes ever to wear crimson and white," Alabama track coach Dan Waters shared in a statement. "His impact on our program extended far beyond records and championships; he was a beloved teammate, a brother to so many and a dear friend to me, personally. On behalf of the entire Alabama family, we extend our deepest condolences to his loved ones. The running community has lost a remarkable soul."

Kipsang's GoFundMe has raised just over $17,000 of the $30,000 goal.

This article first appeared on Men's Journal and was syndicated with permission.

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