Eldoret race winners paid as plans for 2023 edition begin
Athletics
By
Stephen Rutto
| Mar 11, 2023
From left, Eldoret City Marathon Director Moses Tanui,the event's female winner Beatrice Chebet, CEO Standard Group Orlando Lyomu,County Commissioner Eddyson Nyale and Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii during the awarding ceremony of the winners of Eldoret City Marathon 4th addition held in the town last year. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]
Top 20 athletes in the fourth edition of the Eldoret City Marathon were yesterday awarded in a ceremony at the City of Champions, with winners in each category walking away with Sh3.5 million prize money each.
Organisers expressed optimism that the 2023 edition will be better than last year's race.
Race director Moses Tanui said he was confident that the Eldoret City 42km annual run will live up to its billing as one of the world's oldest marathons, to be equated with the Boston Marathon in future. From left, Eldoret City Marathon Director Moses Tanui,the event's male winner Victor Kipchirchir, CEO Standard Group Orlando Lyomu,County Commissioner Eddyson Nyale and Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii during the awarding ceremony of the winners of Eldoret City Marathon 4th addition held in the town last year. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]
Standard Media Group PLC has been the race's media partner since its inaugural edition five years ago.
Last year's winners Victor Kipchirchir and Emily Chebet Kipchumba in the men's and women's categories were among 40 athletes awarded in the ceremony.
Tanui, a two-time Boston Marathon champion thanked sponsors for supporting the annual race and urged them to continue with the event organisers, noting that the bonanza which has electrified Eldoret since 2018.
He said the Eldoret City Marathon is living up to its Climate Action theme, which has seen the planting of one million trees during every event, annually. From left, Eldoret City Marathon Director Moses Tanui, Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii, CEO Standard Group Orlando Lyomu and former athlete Patrick Sang during the awarding ceremony of the winners of Eldoret City Marathon 4th addition held in the town last year. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]
Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii said Eldoret City marathon birthed the Eldoret town arboretum which was greened through the race's Climate Action theme.
"It has been a difficult year since our last edition, but we are thankful that this has ended and we are now moving on to the next edition. We continue growing the marathon, and this year, we will position it as an international marathon," Tanui said.
Bii asked athletes to take leading roles in the fight against doping by resisting attempts by malicious individuals introducing them to cheating, with an intention of tainting the country's image.