Eliud Kipchoge: Plant trees on your birthdays
Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge crosses the finish line to win the men's marathon final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Sapporo on August 8, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Athletics Kenya President Jackson Tuwei, another of the key speakers, spoke about recent milestones achieved by the federation including their decision to sign the United Nations Climate Change (UNCC) Sports for Climate Action Framework, participation in a 20-month air quality research project conducted at Kasarani Stadium and in the clinical and environmental research conducted during the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi last month.
- “It comes as no surprise that all around us, we are witnessing deteriorating air quality due to increase in air pollution, which is made worse by the impacts of climate change,” Tuwei said.
World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge has urged Kenyans to dedicate their birthdays to environment conservation.
Kipchoge joined key figures from Athletics Kenya at a virtual event to mark the second International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies in Nairobi on Tuesday.
“Plant a tree on your special day and in two years, we will be breathing better air. This is not rocket science,” he said.
"We must protect that which provides us with clean air, clean water and is a perfect training ground for our athletes.”
The event, organised by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Stockholm Environment Institute and telecom firm Safaricom, addressed the theme 'Healthy Air, Healthy Planet' which aimed to emphasize the correlation between human and planetary health.
Kipchoge underlined his credentials as the undisputed king of the marathon with a totally dominant run to retain his Olympic title on the streets of Sapporo last month.
The world record holder clocked 2hr 08min 38sec to win gold, becoming only the third man to win consecutive marathon titles.
Kipchoge's winning margin of 1:20 was the biggest since Frank Shorter's win in the 1972 Munich Games. It was his 13th win in the 15 marathons he has raced since 2013.
Athletics Kenya President Jackson Tuwei, another of the key speakers, spoke about recent milestones achieved by the federation including their decision to sign the United Nations Climate Change (UNCC) Sports for Climate Action Framework, participation in a 20-month air quality research project conducted at Kasarani Stadium and in the clinical and environmental research conducted during the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi last month.
“It comes as no surprise that all around us, we are witnessing deteriorating air quality due to increase in air pollution, which is made worse by the impacts of climate change,” Tuwei said.
