NAIROBI, Kenya, August 25 – Over 1000 athletes are expected to take part in the Great Highlands Marathon on September 4.
Aside from the 42km course, the race which is going to take place in Kericho has also been expanded to include a 10km Race, 8km/6km Junior Race as well as 5km Family Fun Run/Corporate Race.
Marathon organisers say that a lot of athletes have taken advantage of the early registration to confirm their participation.
“A good number of athletes from various parts of the country have responded to our announcement and have started registering to take part in the inaugural race,” said GoTo Sports marketing director David Ruto.
“Due to the good response from the targeted athletes and following requests from interested clubs and teams we have also expanded the races to include a junior race for both the young men and women,” he added.
The prize money for the race has also been revised upwards, with the winner of the 42km race now taking home Sh200,000.
The runner up will take home Sh100,000 and while third place will be awarded Sh50,000.
The 10km race will see the winner win Sh20,000, the runner up Sh15, 000 and the third place walking away with Sh10,000. The junior races of 8km for Men and 6km for ladies will also receive some cash prizes, medals and certificates, while the 5km Fun
Run and Corporate Race will see the top 3 winners take home gift hampers, medals and certificates. All the races are open to both men and women.
The race whose slogan is “running in the home of athletics” is aimed at promoting sports tourism as well as championing environmental conservation of the Great Highlands.
“We are promoting this event all across Kenya, and we are looking at having participants from as many parts of the country as possible to join us in this important race within the South Rift and also support us in our mission to promote the conservation of the Great Highlands, which has been attributed to the athletes’ great performance,” said Ruto.
Great Highlands will be the first full marathon to be staged in the South Rift and will give an opportunity to young and budding athletes from the area to take part in the race and display their prowess, while those visiting will also get an opportunity to run at the ‘Home of Athletics’.
The organizers of the event hope to make the race an annual event that will seek to shine the spotlight on the South Rift Region. As an annual event, they will be able to promptly identify emerging young athletes and help them continue to develop their talent, and promote sports tourism and environmental conservation within and around the area.
