Meru braced for inaugural Mountain Racing

Excitement is building in Meru County and its neighboring regions ahead of Saturday’s Mountain Racing championship at the Kenya School of Adventure in Ntirimiti, Buuri Constituency.

Over 3000 competitors have registered for the inaugural with various corporate and individual stakeholders throwing weight behind the race.

John Mwangi, an administrator at the Kenya School of Adventure and a member of the organizing committee says all plans and preparations are complete and the terrain fully marked awaiting race day.

“We have marked the route and also profiled the heights, the corners and the rock pieces have been swept off. Everything is in place and we urge all who have registered to come out and race for a purpose and be part of history,” Mwangi said.

Mwangi assured the runners of their security saying there will be heavy security presence along the tracks so as to provide the perfect atmosphere for the competition.

“We have looked at the safety angle knowing it’s a high altitude event. It’s not anything that has happened in this country before,” he added.

Speaking to Citizen Digital after inspecting the route, Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi expressed his satisfaction while noting that the annual championship will go a long way in impacting the locals.

“This is a good initiative that we are starting and already so many people have registered for the event. It’s a huge event that will be held annually in Meru and we intend to use its proceeds to help fight cancer in this region.” Murungi said.

The locals are thrilled by the prospect of running through the thickets of the forest; an experience they say will be incomparable.

“I am excited to run through the mountain and raise funds for a good cause. I live next to the mountain but it is something I have never imagined doing,” a jubilant resident noted.

The race start point is marked at 2811m above sea level and the highest point of the run will be at 3128m above sea level.

The event will feature a 2km family fun race, 6km and 8km junior run and a 12km elite’s race whose winner will pocket Ksh 500,000.

The runner’s up in the elite’s event will take home Ksh 250,000 and the 1st runner’s up will be awared Ksh 100,000.