Twelve and unbeaten: Grade Six pupil wins Kaptagat cycling category

Meshack Kiptoo Koech, 12, competes in the 2026 Kaptagat Cycling Challenge, where he won his category on Saturday. [Courtesy]

Meshack Kiptoo Koech, a 12-year-old Grade Six pupil, beat older riders to win his category at the 2026 Kaptagat Cycling Challenge on Saturday after completing the 80-kilometre course.

The victory made Koech one of the youngest riders to win at the event, held as part of celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the Kaptagat Integrated Conservation Programme.

The annual race has expanded beyond elite competition to include young riders while promoting environmental conservation.

The programme was founded in 2017 and has since restored more than 3,000 hectares across the Kaptagat, Sabor, Penon, Kipkabus and Kessup forest blocks and facilitated the planting of more than two million trees.

Saturday's race drew 130 cyclists, a 30 per cent rise in participation from previous editions, competing across elite, para-cycling, junior, veteran and team categories, with a total prize purse of Sh4 million.

Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo, patron of the programme, said rising youth participation sits at the centre of his plan to turn Kaptagat into a leading destination for athletes and outdoor recreation.

"We are promoting that because this is a high-altitude area, and Kaptagat is known to all athletes. We are promoting sports because there is a relationship between sports, restoration and ecotourism," said Kiptoo.

Kiptoo said the long-term goal is to turn the restored forest into a hub where athletes, cyclists and nature lovers can train while supporting conservation.

"We want to work with Kenya Forest Service now to make sure that this forest is also a place for running. We also want nature trails. We want bicycles. People should be coming from Eldoret and do riding as we do in Karura," he explained.

Koech started cycling at age seven and has now raced in the Kaptagat Cycling Challenge for three straight years, after failing to win in his first two attempts.

"For 2024, the results were not very good, and in 2025, I was in the under-23 category. That was not good. 2026 is the best. I have become number one," Koech recalled.

To improve, the young rider took up regular weekend training under a coach, riding a bicycle his father bought him.

"I have a coach, and my dad bought me this bike. I practice on the weekend, and I want to be a champion," he added.

His training paid off as he crossed the finish line first on the 80-kilometre course despite the cold conditions.

Racing against older and more seasoned riders, Koech said his confidence came from preparation.

"I do not fear anyone because I've trained so hard," he said.

To mark the programme's anniversary, Kiptoo also launched a "10 to 20" vision, a commitment to double the programme's conservation impact over the next decade.