First Lady Kenyatta moots running 10K

First lady Margaret Kenyatta is mooting to run for only 10km at the March 6 third edition of the First Lady Half Marathon that is targeting 70,000 participants this year, more than double the number that turned up for the 2015 event.

Ms Kenyatta who made history in 2014 by being the first serving First Lady to complete the 21km half marathon distance before she broke barriers when she completed the full 42.195km classic distance at the London Marathon was speaking after completing a training session at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Thursday morning.

“This year I have not being training as hard as I did in the previous years so I may flag off the 21 kilometer and run the 10km kilometer race but I don’t know yet,” she stated.

“Why athletics is because it is identified with Kenya and Kenyans identified with it, so we choose something that everybody could get involved with and also running is healthy,” she added with this year’s event closing on the Ksh200m mark since it was launched as the vehicle of her ‘Beyond Zero’ initiative aimed at improving maternal healthcare across the country’s 47 counties.

“My dream for Beyond Zero is a full women and children hospital, actually more than one but we still need to deliver many more clinics to the county especially the northern part of Kenya they need more clinics,” Ms. Kenyatta underscored with 36 of 47 counties receiving mobile clinics thus far.

“I invite all the first ladies every year, so we will see,” she added on the prospect of being joined in her run by first ladies from the counties this year.

Accompanied by members of her training team and the local media, the First Lady tackled a 6.5 km ‘solidarity run’ both inside and the peripherals of the Kasarani complex.

Besides the 21km stretch, this year’s edition of the Half Marathon incorporates special features including a wheelchair race and 2km, 5km and 10 km races.

The winners of the main 21 km races for both men and women will take home Sh750,000 as prize money while the runners up  will walk away with Sh500,000. Third-placed winners will take home Sh250,000.

The winners of the 10km race for both men and women will take home Ksh250,000 while  runner ups will receive Sh100,000 with third-placed finishers taking Ksh50,000.

“With regards to Fundraising the campaign has been able to raise more than 165 million in cash and in kind donations. Some of our sponsors,to mention but a few include,KCB Bank, Vivo Energy, Parapet Cleaning Services, Britam,Kenya-Re Corporation, and Reelforge Media Monitoring, Kay Construction, FirmBridge Advertising, Dykoe Company, Savannah Cement, Merck Group,KenGen, Oxygen 8 East Africa, KWFT, I&M Bank, Sports Kenya, Co-op Bank, National Bank of Kenya, South African Millers, DTB Bank,” event management company Homeboyz CEO, Myke Rabar announced at a separate function at Athletics Kenya (AK) Riadha House headquarters.

“We have just about 17 days left to the marathon and a lot of work is going on behind the scenes to ensure we have a successful event this year,” he added.

Registration continues at various locations including all Nakumatt, Uchumi, and Tuskys supermarkets countrywide and Nairobi Sports House at cost of KSh1,500 for individual participants.

Other registration points include Shell, National Oil and Total Petrol Stations. Other registration platforms include the Beyond Zero App on Android phones and the www.beyondzero.or.ke

Report by Paul Kimani