Athletics Kenya Senior Vice President Paul Mutwii and Kilimambogo Marathon Race Director Stephen Mutinda/ CHARLENE MALWA
A field of 1,500 participants, including Olympians, African medallists and accomplished international trail runners, is expected to take on the inaugural Kilimambogo Trail Marathon on July 18 at OL Donyo Sabuk in Machakos
The half marathon has seen East Trail Sports Series combine competitive athletics with environmental conservation.
Launched in Nairobi on Tuesday under the theme "Stride for a Cleaner Future," the event will feature a half marathon and 10km run around Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park with a total prize purse of Sh1.5 million.
Winners in the half marathon, men and women, will pocket a top prize of Sh250,000, with the runner-up taking home Sh100,000 and third place Sh50,000. Athletes finishing fourth and fifth will each receive Sh10,000, while those placing sixth to tenth will earn Sh5,000 each.
In the 10km race, also open to both men and women, the winner will pocket Sh50,000, second place Sh30,000 and third place Sh10,000. Fourth and fifth place finishers will each receive Sh5,000, while those finishing between sixth and tenth will each be awarded Sh2,500. All finishers will receive medals.
Registration, which opened a month ago, has attracted runners from Nairobi, Central Kenya, the Rift Valley, Machakos, Kitui and Makueni counties.
Organisers said the field includes African bronze medallists, Olympians, silver medallists and athletes who have previously finished fourth and fifth in international trail marathons outside Kenya, alongside community runners and fitness enthusiasts.
Event Director Steven Mutinda said the marathon is designed to demonstrate how sport can become a catalyst for environmental protection while showcasing the unique terrain around Kilimambogo Mountain.
"This marathon is more than a race. It is a movement that demonstrates how sport can mobilise people to protect what they love," said Mutinda.
The route will wind through Ol Donyo Sabuk Town and the scenic trails of Kilimambogo Mountain inside Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park, taking runners across forests, rolling hills, rugged terrain and challenging elevations.
Alongside the race, organisers will partner with conservation stakeholders to clean up a section of River Athi and undertake riparian tree planting to help stabilise riverbanks, reduce soil erosion and improve water quality.
"We are not claiming to restore the entire River Athi. Instead, we are adopting one section in our inaugural edition, with the hope that our work inspires similar action elsewhere. Every stride will leave a positive footprint on our trail," Mutinda added.
Athletics Kenya Senior Vice President, Director of Competitions and Southern Region chairman Paul Mutwii officially endorsed the event, saying the organisers had met the federation's requirements to stage the marathon.
Mutwii said the race will provide another competitive platform for Kenyan athletes while helping grow trail running and encouraged elite athletes, recreational runners and families to take part.
Besides the races, the event will feature a Festival Square for opening and closing ceremonies, entertainment and prize presentations as organisers contribute to Kenya's target of planting 15 billion trees by 2032 while establishing a new fixture on the country's athletics calendar.
