Scenic course awaits athletes in Mt Kenya Mountain Running

Purity Gitonga

Former World Mountain Running Association World Cup winners Lucy Murigi (right) poses photos at Kenya School of Leadership and Adventure together with Esther Wangui (centre) and Purity Gitonga on February 21, 2020 on the eve of the inaugural Mt Kenya Mountain Running Championship in Meru County.

Photo credit: Charles Wanyoro | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • More than 3,000 local and foreign participants to line up today at the foot of Mt Kenya Forest for inaugural edition of the competition
  • Meru Governor Murungi to flag off runners at start of competition

Former World Mountain Running Association World Cup winners, Lucy Murigi and Geoffrey Gikuni, are optimistic of a good performance when they join more than 3,000 athletes in the inaugural Mt Kenya Mountain Running Championship in Meru County on Saturday.

Having dominated global competitions abroad, the duo can’t wait to compete at the foot of the scenic Mt Kenya Forest.

Speaking yesterday in Meru at Kenya School of Leadership and Adventure where they have set up camp, the runners said that although they have conquered the world in races abroad, they are anxious to see what awaits them in today’s race.

Murigi, a former road runner from Kinangop, first competed in mountain running in 2014 but it was not until 2017 that she won her first gold medal. She would win another gold medal in 2018.

“I fell in love with the event and I am keen to shine in front of the home crowd. This is the first mountain running event to be staged in Kenya and I am overjoyed at the prospect of competing here. I have flown Kenya’s flag abroad and I hope to win here,” she told Nation Sport.

GITONGA SISTERS ON PARADE

Gitonga sisters Purity and Caroline who are twins will also compete. The two shone in the 34th World Series in Canillo, Andorra. Nation Media Group is the official media partner of the event. The company has fielded a team of about 20 athletes in today’s event.

Former Paris Half Marathon winner Morris Munene, Dennis Kyaka and Fred Morang’a are among elite runners competing at the event. At least 10 ambassadors and foreign dignitaries will also compete in the championship. Former Athletics Kenya Treasurer Joseph Kinyua who is one of the organisers of the event, is optimistic that future editions of the event will be held as part of the World Mountain Running Association World Cup series. This week, Vivo Energy, Credit Bank and Karen Hospital joined the list of sponsors.

Credit Bank has donated Sh1.5 million towards the competition, while Vivo Energy and Karen Hospital gave out Sh250,000 and Sh450,000 respectively.

The race, to be held under the theme ‘Challenging the Heights’,’ is the first of its kind in Africa and seeks to raise funds for establishment of a cancer centre at the Meru Level Five Hospital. It also aims at marketing the region as a tourism destination and an investment hub.

The competition, organised by Meru County government and Meru County Investment and Development Corporation, has so far has attracted more than 3,000 local and foreign participants who will compete in the professional and amateur categories.

Meru County Governor Kiraitu Murungi will flag off the race. Contestants will compete in races for young as well as that for the old. The elite race will be held over 12,000 metres at an altitude of 2,800 metres.

There will also be junior category races (6km and 8km), a fun race dubbed “keep the doctor away,” corporate race, masters race and a race for participants from institutions of higher learning.

Winners will pocket Sh500,000, first runners-up will receive Sh250,000 while second runners-up will walk away with Sh100,000.