The inaugural Mt Kenya Mountain Running to be held next year February 20, is targeting 5000 participants and spectators.
The event whose theme is ‘Challenging the Heights’ will feature four events; 2km family fun run; 6km and 8km junior run and a 12km elites’ race through the challenging Mount Kenya forest tracks.
Speaking Monday at the launch of the event, Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi said the event is aimed at raising funds to fight cancer as well as promote the region as a tourist and investment hub.
“The Mt. Kenya Mountain Running Championships is a great way for participants to combine passion for sport, test boundaries, and have fun. The whole purpose is to be able to scale Mount Kenya up to 3000m with our main aim to raise funds for three courses majorly the fight against cancer which has been a major problem in our county,” said Murungi.
According to a report presented to the National Assembly by the National Cancer Institute in June, Meru is one of the 11 counties with high prevalence of cancer with men and women at a higher risk of prostate and breast cancer respectively.
The governor also appealed for sponsors to come on board and support the course whose proceeds will be used to fund the establishment of the Meru Cancer Center at the Meru Level 5 Hospital and a sanctuary for the mountain Bongos and Rhinos.
The event was also attended by Athletics Kenya (AK) president Jackson Tuwei who hailed the organisers for hosting the first ever mountain running in the country.
“This is going to be the first event in the country and we thank the governor for coming up with this noble idea. We in AK are going to use this race in support of the fight against cancer,” said Tuwei.
The winner of the elite 12km race will bag Sh500,000 while the first runner-up will take home Sh250,000 as the second runner-up settles for Sh100,000.
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