Bank organises party and seminar for athletes in Eldoret

Bank of Africa will on Sunday organise an athletes’ seminar and viewing of the Berlin Marathon in Eldoret as Kenya’s Wilson Kipsang tries to reclaim the world marathon record from his teammate Dennis Kimetto.

The “Berlin Marathon viewerthon” will be held at the Shakers Restaurant in Eldoret’s central business district, where athletes will also be educated on issues of taxation, banking and investments at the workshop which starts at 7:30am.

The Bank of Africa also organised similar forums during the Boston and London marathons in April in Kapsabet and Iten towns, with the bank’s Eldoret branch manager Jeremiah Kayago stressing the bank’s commitment to empowering the athletes by educating them on how they can use their hard-earned money wisely.

Bank of Africa runs the Mwanariadha account, a product tailor-made to suit athletes’ banking needs.

The bank is using the six-race World Marathon Majors events to carry out the athletes’ education and will hold further viewings at next month’s Chicago Marathon (at the Tortoise Restaurant in Kapsabet) and the New York Marathon in November (at Iten’s Keellu Resort).

Bank of Africa have teamed up with Kenya Revenue Authority, who will offer education to the athletes on issues of taxation, which have been of great contention among athletes.

The annual Berlin Marathon has a reputation as one of the world’s fastest courses. Kipsang may be targeting the world record, but the fastest man in the elite race on Sunday is Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai, who finished second in Berlin two years ago in 2:03:13, beaten only by the man who set the world record, Dennis Kimetto (2:02:57).

In the women’s field, Aberu Kebede not only has the fastest personal best, but a great deal of experience at the Berlin Marathon.

She won in 2010 in 2:23:58 and set her current personal best of 2:20:30 two years later when she won the race again.
Last year, she was beaten only by Kenya’s Gladys Cherono, who ran a world-leading 2:19:25, with Kebede finishing second in 2:20:48.