Kenya Defence Forces are the latest entrants to the February 26 Mount Kenya Mountain Running Championships at the Kenya School of Adventure and Leadership (KeSAL) in Meru County.
The military team will join other corporates, elite runners, individuals and other institutions, which will be participating in the competition.
While officiating over the event's dinner launch, Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi expressed confidence that the increasing number of participants bodes well with the objectives of the race.
The Meru Mount Kenya Mountain Running Championships seeks to raise funds for the construction of the Meru Cancer Centre in addition to enhancing environmental conservation in the region.
"It is unfortunate that we have so many cancer cases in our county. We want to address the menace from the root through the cancer centre, where research will be conducted. We want to kick cancer out of Meru," Murungi said.
"We are in the process of airlifting mountain bongos from Florida to Mt Kenya where we are setting up a mountain bongo and black rhino sanctuary at Muceene area in Ntirimiti, Buuri Sub County. In promoting mountain tourism, we have also made a motorable road to Lake Ellis where people can camp and hold picnics."
Murungi will be running in the 2km race. Other categories of competition include 8km junior run, 13.5km elite run and 13.5km corporate run.
Mt Kenya Run Chairman Joseph Kinyua said he is elated and eagerly waiting for the day after the competition was postponed last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We are happy that we will be able to host the run this year. We expect to have fun," Kinyua said.
