Marvejols-Mende mourns Gervais Hakizimana, who died in Kenya with marathon record holder Kiptum

Gervais Hakizimana sur le Marvejols-Mende, qu'il a couru une quinzaine de fois. Facebook Marvejols-Mende – DR

Gervais Hakizimana was "a great friend of Marvejols-Mende”, writes Jean-Claude Moulin.

The marathon world record holder, Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum, died in a car accident in Kenya, with his coach, Rwandan Gervais Hakizimana.  

This news sowed sadness in Lozère, in the Marvejols-Mende family. Gervais Hakizimana had participated in the half-marathon around fifteen times, with places of 3rd in 2012, 4th in 2011, 6th in 2010 and 2014. That's eight times in the top ten.

"Gervais was a great friend of Marvejols-Mende“, writes Jean-Claude Moulin on the race's Facebook page. And beyond the purely sporting aspect, "it’it is above all its role in communicating our race to African runners that it is appropriate to highlight".

Considerable help

He says: "It’it was Gervais who brought us the quadruple winner, his compatriot Félicien Muhitira, it’it was also Gervais who brought us the four-time winner, his compatriot Félicien Muhitira, it’ rsquo;rescuing, all these last years, the African runners who arrived at the Saint-Exupéry airport in Lyon.  We were in constant contact by telephone, he was for us a real security and a help considerable."

Moreover, a chapter is dedicated to him, in the year 2010, in the book 50 ans de Légende.

An immense loss

"It's an immense loss for the entire organizational team through his kindness and availability, he had created links strong with the Mendois and Marvejolais. We also have a thought for his family, his lifelong trainer Philippe Planke and his friend Régis Lacombe who introduced him to us almost twenty years ago", writes Jean-Claude Moulin on behalf of the Marvejols-Mende organizing team.