Eldoret, Addis to partner in athletics development
From left: Eldoret City Marathon Race Director Moses Tanui, former athletes Japheth Kimutai and Benjamin Limo and athletics coach Richard Metto in final preparations for Sunday’s race at the Eldoret Sports Club on April 9, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Huge field in Sunday’s Eldoret City Marathon as organisers look beyond the borders
- Sunday’s Eldoret race will also see international athletes from USA (two), Uganda (seven) with Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, France and Denmark registering one athlete each.
The Eldoret City Marathon and Addis Ababa’s Great Ethiopian Run will soon partner as a way of promoting sports tourism between Kenya and Ethiopia.
Mengistu Muluemebet Bahiru and Yetnayet Mekuria, officials from the Great Ethiopian Run, are in Eldoret to witness Sunday’s marathon and will be joined by Ethiopia’s ambassador to Kenya, Meles Alem Tikea who will also run in the corporate category.
Mengistu told Nation Sport that in future, athletes who win in Kenya will be invited to compete in the 10-kilometre Great Ethiopian Run, Africa’s biggest road race.
“For a long time, we have been friends but a time has come whereby we have to collaborate and work together in order to improve on this races. A race without Ethiopians or Kenyans is not exciting and we know with this partnership will go a long way in terms of sports tourism,” said Mengistu.
The Great Ethiopian Run also organise the Hawasa Half Marathon, Women First 5km, monthly Entoto Park Predator race, the European Union Children’s Race and Great Bekoji Race, among other mass participation events.
Sunday’s Eldoret race will also see international athletes from USA (two), Uganda (seven) with Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, France and Denmark registering one athlete each.
Defending women’s champion Mercy Kipchumba is optimistic she will defend her title in the race that has attracted more than 400 elite men and more than 120 elite women.
Kipchumba said she has been training well in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
“I had a slight injury, but I’m happy that I’m good condition now. The race has attracted a good number of athletes and it is competitive but I will do my best tomorrow,” said Kipchumba.
Also in the 42km women’s race are friends who decided to join the elites and will be competing as a group. They include Clara Gacea (France), Delila Kidanu (Ethiopia), Rebecca Crook (USA) and Magdalyne Kanjejo (Kenya).
The annual race, whose theme is “Climate Action”, has been drumming up support for tree planting within the agriculturally rich Uasin Gishu County since its inception in 2018, with the aim of aiding the county achieve its goal of 10 percent forest cover by next year.
“We have planted tree seedlings at institutions and this year, in collaboration with the county government and other stakeholders, we have identified some schools that will receive seedlings as one way of improving the forest cover,” said race chairman Andrew Chelogoi.
