Inaugural Meru University Mt Kenya Mountain Run attract over 500 runners

The registration for the elite 14km race, 8 km senior men and women, 8kms masters, and 8 km for students, is Sh1,000.

by ANGWENYI GICHANA

Sports03 September 2025 - 08:20

In Summary

Junior men and women who will run 8m will pay a registration fee of Sh500, while children who will participate in the 3kms race will also pay Sh500, according to Ramara.
Winners in the main 14kms category will receive Sh200, 000 while second-placed athletes will go home with Sh150,000, and third-placed athletes will receive Sh100,000.

Meru University Vice Chancellor Romanus Odhiambo with AK President Jack Tuwei when the VC paid him a courtesy call at Riadha House/FILE

The inaugural Meru University Mt. Kenya Mountain Run, scheduled for Sunday, has attracted more than 500 athletes. The event, featuring seven categories, will be held at Meru University’s Marimba Campus, which is 12 kilometres from Meru town. The race director, Timothy Ramara, said they expect up to 1,000 athletes to register by Saturday.

“Being the inaugural edition, we are happy with the registration so far. We have had about 500 athletes as of Tuesday evening. We expect more to register because Kenyans like doing things last minute,” said Ramara.

The registration for the elite 14km race, 8 km senior men and women, 8kms masters, and 8 km for students, is Sh1,000, while VIP’s who will run 3 km will pay Sh5,000.

Junior men and women who will run 8m will pay a registration fee of Sh500, while children who will participate in the 3kms race will also pay Sh500, according to Ramara.

Winners in the main 14kms category will receive Sh200, 000 while second-placed athletes will go home with Sh150,000, and third-placed athletes will receive Sh100,000.

Ramara further revealed that the top 10 athletes in all the categories will receive cash awards, while all participants will get medals. The theme is conquering the mountain for education and environmental conservation. Ramara said the race aims to raise funds for bright, talented, but needy students.

Ramara added that the race will be held annually. “The race is now in the Athletics Kenya (AK) calendar of events, and we want to thank the federation for that,” remarked Marimba. He noted that the registration deadline is on Saturday, and athletes will pick running numbers from Meru Town on the same day.

Commenting on the course, Ramara added, “It is a tough and challenging course. It’s an up and down trail race which will be very interesting for the athletes.”

The race has attracted sponsorship from Safaricom, the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), Magical Kenya, Kenya Tourism Board, Athletics Kenya, Meru University Alumni Association, and Coca-Cola.