Eldoret City Marathon now moved to October 1

The prestigious Eldoret City Marathon, which was initially scheduled for the weekend, has been rescheduled to October 1.

Race Director and two-time Boston Marathon champion Moses Tanui announced the new date Tuesday in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.

He said the race faced some challenges including sponsorship, but they have now overcome the hurdle.

The race is a highly anticipated event that draws professional athletes and running enthusiasts from around the globe.

“The race serves as a platform for athletes to showcase their talent and get a chance to be identified by scouts who are looking for new talent as they compete for prestigious titles. We have a new date and I would like to ask athletes to continue training so that they can be able to battle it out for the top honours,” said Tanui.

The postponement provides an opportunity for athletes to further hone their skills, fine-tune their training, and maximize their performance potential.

Tanui's aspiration to build a race that rivals the prestige of marathons like the Boston Marathon and London Marathon demonstrates his ambitious vision for the Eldoret City Marathon which he said will remain for years.

By aiming for such high standards, Tanui is committed to elevating the event to a world-class level and cementing its reputation as one of the most prestigious marathons globally that will be recognized and be able to help upcoming marathoners.

“We need to hold hands together and help our young athletes also build their career and I would like to ask other stakeholders to come on board for this noble idea. I want to give back to the community by supporting that athlete who doesn’t have a manager and training facilities because this will kick start their career,” added Tanui.

He also said that the winners' prize remains the same where both men and women will go home Sh3.5 million (USD 35,000) richer and all the top 20 athletes will receive awards in the male and female 42km races.

Tanui also said that they have a partnership with the Great Ethiopian Run in Ethiopia where two athletes, who won the 10km Great Bokoji Run in Ethiopia, and had been awarded a chance to compete in this year’s edition, will be invited to compete as one way of strengthening the relationship between the two countries.

“We have established a good relationship with Ethiopia because we have been friends for a long time and we saw it wise to build our races in Africa,” added Tanui.