21km Nyamira Great Run postponed
Stephen Arita leads Felix Boera during the fifth edition of the Nyamira Great Run series at Sironga on November 21, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Winners of the half marathon will bag Sh250,000, with first runners up going home with Sh175,000 and third placed athletes getting Sh150,000. Fourth placed athletes will receive Sh125,000 and fifth place finishers Sh100,000.
- To inspire local runners, Nyamira County governor Amos Nyaribo said the first local athlete to cross the finishing line will get Sh100,000, while second placed athletes will receive Sh75,000 and third placed receiving Sh50,000.
The 21km Nyamira Great Run race that was slated for this weekend has been postponed.
Speaking to Nation Sport Tuesday, the Nyamira county executive for sports Grace Nyamongo said they decided to reschedule the event to give athletes more time to recover from fatigue.
Nyamira County Government in partnership with Nyanza South Athletics Kenya (AK) officials had in September organised a five-part athletics series to search for fresh talents in the region.
The last leg of the series was held a fortnight ago at Sironga playing ground. Since the races were launched in September, the region has experienced a beehive of activities with dozens of local athletes turning up for the events.
Alongside cross country races, the events also had 10km senior men and women races, 6km junior women and 8km junior men.
"As you are aware, most of the athletes participated in the series and we feel they need time to recover," said Nyamongo.
According to Nyanza South AK chairman Peter Angwenyi, a former sports journalist, the races were also used to remember former athletes from the region.
Athletes from the region over the weekend also took part in former track legend Robert Ouko Memorial Day meet.
The event was held at Sengera Manga Mixed Secondary School playing ground on Sunday.
The region is home of track legends who blazed the track in the early years after independence.
Among them is Charles Asati and the late Robert Ouko, members of the 4x400 metres relay team that won the first ever Olympic gold medal for Kenya at the 1972 Munich Games.
The other runners in this much vaunted quintet were Hezekiah Nyamao from Kisii County and the late Julius Sang.
Another legend from the region is the late Nyantika Maiyoro, a pioneer Kenyan athlete who built international repute, while competing for Kenya under the British colonial rule in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia.
Some of the current athletes from the region excelling in the sport are national 400m champion Mary Moraa, former national junior 200m champion Maureen Thomas and Africa Under-20 walking race champion Dominic Ndigiti, who has transitioned successfully to the senior stage.
Apart from the three is double world 5,000 metres champion and Olympic silver medallist Hellen Obiri from Kisii County.
Once the date for the 21km race is set, the competition will start at Chepilat on the Nyamira/Bomet Counties border and finish at Ikonge primary school grounds.
Winners of the half marathon will bag Sh250,000, with first runners up going home with Sh175,000 and third placed athletes getting Sh150,000. Fourth placed athletes will receive Sh125,000 and fifth place finishers Sh100,000.
To inspire local runners, Nyamira County governor Amos Nyaribo said the first local athlete to cross the finishing line will get Sh100,000, while second placed athletes will receive Sh75,000 and third placed receiving Sh50,000.
