Race organisers promise exciting action at Eldoret City Marathon

Eldoret City Marathon Director Moses Tanui, Golazo's Diana Korir, Kesses DCC Odidi Otieno and Timothy Sang also of Golazo at yesterday's event. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

The Eldoret City Marathon organisers have asked athletes to prepare to walk home with another rich purse in the fifth edition scheduled for June 25, this year.

Organisers and sponsors led by the major partner - Golazo Right Here, yesterday marked the race's Climate Action initiative at the Eldoret Sports Club, in readiness for the June bonanza.

Race director Moses Tanui assured sponsors that the technical team is preparing the stage for upcoming marathoners and their experienced counterparts to compete for the marathon's rich prize money.

The double Boston Marathon winner said Eldoret City Marathon organisers will continue sustaining the Climate Action theme, which sees planting of trees in areas where athletes train as they prepare every year in Uasin Gishu County.

Alten Energy, Jambo Jet, Kenya Tourism Board, Kenya Water Towers, Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Dairy Board and a number of Eldoret-based hospitals were among the partners that took part in the tree planting exercise to mark the Climate Action initiative. Standard Group PLC is the race's media partner.

Tanui said the race's Local Organising Committee will begin meticulous planning for this year's edition next week as it seeks to make the 2023 marathon better than all the previous races.

He said the Eldoret Race entered into a partnership with the annual Ethiopian Great Run and plans were underway to enter marathoners from the neighbouring country to take part in this year's Eldoret City Marathon.

The Eldoret Marathon had been scheduled for April 16 (yesterday) but was pushed to June 25.

"This marathon was founded to give athletes who have trained for years without having a manager and sponsor the opportunity to be spotted and be nurtured. The story of an athlete who borrowed running shoes and ended up placing third in one of the initial editions remains the inspiration for the Eldoret City Marathon. The athlete did not have transport money to the venue of the race," Tanui said during the Climate Action ceremony.

He thanked Golazo, which had offered technical support to the race in the previous editions for coming in as the main sponsor from this year.

"Our theme is Climate Action and I am happy that the Kenya Water Towers Agency, Kenya Forest Service and the national government administration are here to support the initiative. Without fresh air and water, we athletes can't train well," he added.

Golazo Right Here head of events Diana Korir said the sports company was partnering with Eldoret City Marathon on a bigger scale after offering technical support in the last three years.

"We are here to ensure that the marathon outlives us. We want to ensure that Eldoret City Marathon is as big as Boston and Rotterdam races. We want a Kenyan marathon that speaks for the country and for the region that has produced world-class athletes," Korir said.