SEC champion runner Eliud Kipsang dies days after cardiac arrest

Former Alabama track star Eliud Kipsang has died just days after he suffered cardiac arrest, the university announced. He was 28. 

Kipsang, who was born in Kenya and is a current holder of several program records, went into cardiac arrest on Friday, June 6, according to a GoFundMe campaign set up on behalf of his family. He was admitted to the intensive care unit at Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington, but died just days later on Tuesday. 

FILE – Alabama’s Eliud Kipsang leads the field during a quarterfinal of the men’s 1,500-meter run at the NCAA East Preliminary track and field championships at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium on May 28, 2021.  (Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union)

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“We are heartbroken by the passing of Eliud Kipsang, one of the most gifted athletes ever to wear crimson and white,” head coach Dan Waters said in a statement provided by the university.

“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.”

Eliud Kipsang of Alabama celebrates his finish in the mile run final during the Division I Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championship at the Randal Tyson Center on March 13, 2021, in Fayetteville, Arkansas.  (Andy Hancock/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

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Kipsang won gold at the 2021 Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships in men’s 1,500m and the SEC Cross Country Championships. That same year, he was named SEC Runner of the Year. 

The following season he set the collegiate record in the men’s 1,500m, and his time of 3:33.74 still remains a top five collegiate time. 

FILE – Eliud Kipsang of Alabama, Sam Tanner of Washington and Yusuf Bizimana of Texas lead a mile heat during the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Randal Tyson Center on March 12, 2021. ( Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

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Kipsang still holds three program records in both indoor and outdoor events and has six top-10, all-time placements in Alabama history. 

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