Kericho County to host sixth edition of Deaf Half Marathon

The sixth edition of Deaf Half Marathon will be held on June 16, 2019 in Kericho County.

Safaricom has sponsored the race to a tune of Sh2.5 million which will cover winners’ prizes including Sh 100,000, Sh 50,000 and Sh 30,000 for men and women who complete the half marathon in first, second and third positions.

“This event has become very important in our athletics calendar because it lets us know the form our athletes are in before the season begins. This year we are hosting the 1st Africa Deaf Athletics in mid-September with the national trials scheduled for August,” said Bernard Banja, Secretary General, Deaf Athletics Association of Kenya (DAAK).

Besides the 21km race, there will also be 10km for men and women who will walk away with Sh 50,000, Sh 40,000 and Sh 30,000 for first, second and third positions respectively.

“This race is important because of the empowerment it offers Deaf athletes which is why we continue to support different races under the Safaricom Athletics Series; because we believe the platform is important for upcoming athletes to grow and showcase their talent,” said Sylvia Mulinge, Chief Customer Officer  of  Safaricom.

The race, which is expected to bring together 400 deaf athletes from all over the country will feature last year’s winners of the 21km race, Daniel Kiptum from Uasin Gishu County and Tuster Kwamesa from Kisii County.