Defending champion Purity Gitonga is seeking to reclaim her title during the second edition of the Kenya Mountain Running Championship.
The event has attracted close to 5,000 participants including corporates, elite runners, individuals, and other institutions.
The event will feature four categories thus 13km senior men and women and 8km junior men and women.
Yesterday, the event received Sh500,000 sponsorship boost from the Kenya Commercial Bank.
The inaugural edition which was held in 2020 attracted over 3,000 participants where Purity Gitonga and Emmanuel Bor triumphed in the women and men’s 12km respectively.
Speaking during a cheque handover, KCB Bank's senior relationship manager, Timothy Musau lauded Meru County for the noble initiative whose proceeds will go towards fighting cancer, conserving the environment conservation as well as promoting tourism and investment in Meru County.
Musau also reiterated the brand’s support for sports in the country.
“In line with our sports agenda which encompasses promoting local talent, this sponsorship provides an enabling environment for sportsmen and women to participate in this year’s edition which targets over 5,000 participants.”
“This cause will also go a long way in contributing to our sustainability agenda which is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development goals (SDGs) we have adopted to contribute to the needs and ambitions of our communities and contribute to social, environmental stability the societies we operate in,” he said.
Registration fees has been gashed from the last edition’s Sh2,500 to Sh 1,000 for seniors, Sh500 for juniors, and Sh100,000for corporates.
Winners in the senior men and women's categories will bag Sh500, 000 each while those in the junior categories will be awarded Sh20,000.
Mt. Kenya Running Championship Meru chairman, Joseph Kinyua disclosed that the central government has allocated Sh300million to the cancer Institute, besides pledging its support to the planned Sh2.7 billion modern cancer hospital in Meru.
Kinyua said beside cancer awareness, the County is also keen on environment conservation and there is a plan to reintroduce Bongo Antelope from Florida, the United States, and Black Rhino at the Mount Kenya forest. This, according to him, will promote sports tourism in the region.
