Over 1000 established and budding athletes will battle for top honours at the inaugural Run4Rabies 10KM run scheduled for Kisumu on Thursday.
The race will be run to mark the World Rabies Day and commemorate Sharon Jepchumba who died of rabies in the year 2012.
Under Sharon Live On Foundation, the race founder Barnabas Korir, who is also the AK Nairobi branch chairman said the race is aimed at bringing awareness to eradicate rabies in the county.
The race will start in the Central Business District and end at Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground with the top five finishers set to be awarded cash prizes.
Registration for individual athletes is ongoing at Sh1000 per person.
“All the preparations for the race are at an advanced stage and we are expecting many athletes to grace the event,” Korir said.
The Sharon Live On Foundation’s first project is a rabies vaccination program focusing on dogs, cats and donkeys in the Nandi Central District of Kenya.
“The program was a response to Sharon Jepchumba’s death due to a bite from a rabid dog eight years earlier. We have rolled out the programme countrywide in a bid to educate people on the matter,” added Korir.
In partnership with Kenyan Government and other well wishers from USA and Netherlands Korir has been holding the annual event in vaccinating dogs, cats and donkeys.
“Annually, we receive vaccines worth Sh30 million from different partners which we give to Kenyan Government for the vaccination programme,” he added.
Korir said the race apart from raising awareness will help in nurturing athletic talent in the region.
“When an athletics event is held in this area, people will develop interest in it and I know there are several who are looking for a platform to launch their talent,” said Korir.