Marathon champion dies, aged 24

Samuel Wanjiru, Olympic gold medallist and record-breaker in the 2009 Chicago marathon, has died at his home in Kenya after falling from a first floor balcony.

According to police investigating his death Wanjiru fell from the balcony after his wife found him at home with another woman late on Sunday night. Both women are being questioned by local police who said it’s unclear whether the death was suicide or accidental.

The tempestuous relationship between Wanjiru and his wife, Triza Njeri, hit the local news headlines in December when the runner was charged with assault and illegal possession of an AK47.

Kenya’s long-distance runners are local heroes and the death of Wanjiru, a fast-rising star since his victory in Beijing in 2008 and in London and Chicago the following year where he set course records at both, is a blow to the country and its athletics community.