Kenya’s leading competitive cyclist, David Kinjah, is among hundreds of riders preparing for the Mount Kenya Trust 10-to-4 Mountain bike this weekend.
The event has attracted competitors and ‘fun riders’ from more than six countries including Kenya, South Africa, USA, Tanzania and Britain.
Now in its 16th year, the race is being used to raise funds to protect Mount Kenya, its habitats, and all the livelihoods of people who live on its slopes.
The three-day event to be held at Timau in Meru County, will feature three categories including Extreme, which takes two days and covers 154km, Slide, an easier 39km ride and the Mini10-to-4 for children.
“There’s always a buzz in this final week to race day,” said Susie Weeks, Mount Kenya Trust chief executive. “Whether you are planning to try to upset David Kinjah and steal his title, or just spend the day riding with your family in some spectacular parts of Kenya, the excitement is building,” she noted.
This event has helped the organisation to plant more than half a million trees, build a 14km elephant corridor through farmland , return more than 350 hectares of land to indigenous forest, establish tree nurseries nurturing hundreds of thousands of seedlings, help 50,000 Kenyans with health care and make 10,000 children understand conservation better.
“The Mount Kenya Trust 10-to-4 is a great way for more people to get to know about the major threats that one of the most major water towers in the country faces,” said Susie. “We need that attention to stay, though, long after the final rider crosses the finish line, our work continues all year-round, and we welcome all the support that we can get,” she added.