Bob Collymore leaves behind successful Lewa Marathon

Longest serving Safaricom CEO Robert William Collymore [Courtesy]

Longest serving Safaricom CEO Robert (Bob) William Collymore is dead.

A statement from the telecommunications company reveals that Mr Collymore died at his Nairobi home at 2 am, Monday morning.

He was responsible for championing the Safaricom Marathon held in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, which took shape in the year 2000.

This year, it was held on a tough course in Isiolo County on June 29 - with hundreds of runners hitting the ground running.

Duncan Kipkurui and Emma Kiruki emerged overall winners.

The 42-kilometer race is sponsored by Safaricom in partnership with the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in order to raise funds for numerous community development and wildlife conservation efforts.

Collymore's death will surely leave a huge dent in the event, as he spearheaded it's great impact to the Northern Kenya community.

The Guyanese-born British citizen succumbed to cancer after a long battle with the disease and he has left behind one wife and four children. 

Bob Collymore and wife, Wambui Kamiru [Courtesy]

Collymore had been in and out of the country seeking treatment for the deadly Acute Myloid Leukemia (AML).

His tenure at Safaricom as CEO was to come to a halt in August but the company extended his contract by one year.

Died aged 61, Collymore took charge of Safaricom in 2010 on a three-year contract after the company's founding CEO, Michael Joseph, retired.

Collymore's is a misfortune to the Lewa Marathon which aimed at raising $1 million in the 20th edition, 20 times the amount raised in the inaugural race.

Started in June 2000, The Lewa Marathon is an annual fundraising event held at Lewa Downs and it is regarded as one of the toughest marathons in the world.

180 runners participated in the inaugural Safaricom Marathon held at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and the event raised over Ksh. 5,000,000.

Lewa Marathon allows participants from all over the world to take part in the internationally acclaimed annual event which has grown to become one of the country's major sporting events attracting spectators globally.

Runners of all abilities, from elite professionals to amateurs, run through one of Africa's most breathtaking wildlife conservancies with 2004 Olympic silver medalist Catherine Ndereba and former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat taking part in earlier editions.

Up to date, the event has raised over Sh650 million that has been distributed to various charitable organisations in support of education, health, community development, and wildlife conservation.

Every year funds from the marathon are allocated to the Nanyuki Cottage Hospital specifically to provide care for animal injury victims as the main purpose of the event is to support wildlife conservation.?

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