Kenyan runner hit by car in ill-fated Colombian half-marathon

Kenyan athletes Joseph Kiprono (L) and Daniel Muindi run the 21km race at the Medellin Flowers Marathon, in the Colombian city of Medellin on September 16, 2018. Kiprono was hit by a car as he was leading the race 1.5km prior to the finish line and was taken to hospital while Muindi won the race with a time of 1:03:45. More than 15,000 runners took part in four different running events. / AFP PHOTO / Joaquin SARMIENTO

Kenyan athlete Joseph Kiprono was knocked down by a car Sunday as he was leading a half-marathon in Colombia in which another competitor collapsed and died, the organizers said.

Kiprono — a previous winner of the event — was leading the 21 kilometer (13 mile) race in second-city Medellin when he was struck by a car that authorities said had “violated a road closure.” 

After being treated by medics on the spot, he was taken to hospital with cuts and bruises and later reported by doctors to be in good condition.

Organizers said a 38-year-old runner had collapsed during the race with heart problems and was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital.