Bank of Africa, in partnership with other stakeholders, will host a Berlin Marathon Viewerthon in Iten, the headquarters of Elgeyo Marakwet County, on Sunday, September 27, 2026.
Dubbed the Berlin Marathon Viewerthon, the event is expected to bring together more than 300 athletes, coaches and fans in the Home of Champions as they watch and cheer athletes competing on the streets of the German capital.
The Berlin Marathon will feature a strong international field, including former world marathon record-holder Tigst Assefa and Alisa Vainio in the women’s race, while Gabriel Geay, Getaneh Molla, Guye Adola and Shura Kitata are among the leading names in the men’s field.
However, much of the attention will be on two-time Berlin Marathon champion Kenenisa Bekele.
Speaking in Iten on Friday morning after his routine training run, Bank of Africa Kenya Head of Mwanariadha, Malenya Lusimba, said he was delighted to return to the home of some of the world’s leading distance runners.
“It is exciting to be back in Iten, the home of champions and the breeding ground of world athletics champions. It excites me that many elite Kenyans who train and live here in Iten will be on the course in Berlin on Sunday,” Lusimba said.
Bank of Africa has invited more than 300 athletes based in Iten to watch the Berlin Marathon live on Sunday.
The Berlin Marathon is one of the six World Marathon Majors and is widely regarded as one of the fastest marathon courses in the world.
Besides watching the race, the athletes will participate in sessions covering anti-doping rules violations, taxation by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and financial literacy.
Lusimba said the initiative is part of the bank’s wider programme of educating athletes on how to manage their finances and prepare for life beyond sport.
“We have been visiting training camps, impacting knowledge on financial literacy to athletes. We thrive in moulding young minds to embrace both education and talent for the real world, for they will be able to handle big cash after their wins around the world in future, and the time to shape their minds for big money is now,” he said.
He said there was a need to equip more athletes with financial management skills to prevent them from losing their earnings after successful careers.
“We have seen success stories of athletes bettering their lives after winning big money, but we still have a long way to go in educating more of them, so that the stories we hear of them being swindled of their hard-earned money will be a thing of the past.”
Lusimba added that Bank of Africa would continue supporting athletes through financial education as part of its contribution to the development of Kenyan sport.
“We nurture more talents for the prosperity of our nation and to improve their lives. As a bank, we will continue to endeavour to impact financial literacy to all athletes for their betterment, so that they may continue to live a worthwhile life after their sporting careers.”