NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 12 – Retirement Solutions provider, The County Pension Fund (CPF) Group, has joined the rest of the world and all Kenyans in celebrating Eliud Kipchoge, who became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours, by offering Ksh 1.5 million towards his retirement savings.
This is after Kipchoge clocked a record 1:59:40.02 during the INEOS 1:59 Challenge at Prater Park in Vienna, Austria on Saturday.
Kipchoge, who was assisted by 41 pacemakers, enters the Guinness Book of World Records for running the first sub two-hour marathon.
“I join the rest of the world and all Kenyans in congratulating our very own Eliud Kipchoge for making history by running the first ever sub two-hour marathon. He has proven that any barrier can be smashed and that there are truly no limits to human endeavor,” said CPF CEO, Hosea Kili, OGW during a press conference held in Nairobi.
Kili was quick to highlight that even though Kenyan athletes are renowned the world over, their future once they retire from active sports often remains uncertain as few athletes actively save for retirement.
A survey carried out by CPF in partnership with Infotrak Research & Consulting shows that the number of Kenyans with a pension plan has declined to 10% as most respondents rely on inheritance and personal investments despite the harsh investment climate.
Moreover, the threat of old-age poverty is growing meaning that the majority of Kenyans will have to work way past their retirement years in order to support their current lifestyles.
Kipchoge’s savings will be made through the CPF M-pension Plan – a flexible personal retirement plan that enables individuals to register through their mobile devices by simply dialing *289#
“We as the CPF Group are celebrating 90 years and therefore understand what it means and what it takes to run a marathon as we have been doing the same for nine decades within the pension space.”