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| Senator Enoch Wambua during the launch of the Avena Kitui Half Marathon 2019 in Nairobi on Monday. PHOTO|FB-CAK |
BY MWINGI TIMES REPORTER
mwingitimes@gmail.com
Kitui senator Enoch Wambua has founded the first ever half marathon race in the county. The event to be dubbed Avena Kitui Half Marathon is planned for September, 20.
The race, according to a news report by the Daily Nation was launched at Laico Regency Hotel, Nairobi on Monday. The event will be held in Mutomo town, Kitui South.
The race which will be sponsored by Golden Africa Kenya Limited and Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) will start at Ikutha market centre while the finish line will be at Mutomo Airstrip.
Mr Wambua said that the half marathon race will also include 8km junior men and 6km junior women races that will feature locals as well as a fun run of 2km.
The legislator said registration will start immediately at his offices in the county. Learning institutions with those taking part in 21km will pay Ksh500 while participants in junior men and junior women races will part with Ksh300 and Ksh200 respectively.
Golden Africa Kenya Limited, under their cooking oil brand Avena, have come on board as the title sponsors for Ksh1 million while CAK chipped in by donating Ksh500,000
“The
aim of the event is to tap into the athletics prowess of the lower eastern
region by exposing local runners to competitive professional races,” reads a
statement on the CAK official Facebook page.
“I want it to grow to a full marathon and half marathon with a view of tapping the local talent. It's not just people running for money. I want the focus to also shift from the Great Rift to Eastern part of Kenya in athletics,” he said.
According to the daily publication, CAK Director of Communications Mr Christopher Wambua delivered a cheque of Sh500, 000 during the launch that was attended by former World marathon record holder Mr Patrick Makau and Athletics Kenya (AK) Kitui sub-branch chairman Mr Philip Ngovi.
Mr Makau lauded the idea saying it will open up a new avenue for athletics talent in the South Eastern Kenya region of the country.
In the 21km race, the men and women winners will pocket Ksh100, 000 each. First runners-up will get Ksh75, 000 and third-place finishers will get Ksh50, 000. On the other hand junior race winners will get Sh10, 000 each while second and third-placed finishers will receive Ksh9, 000 and Ksh8, 000 respectively.
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