More than 300 athletes are expected to line up for the third edition of the Mt. Elgon 10km Conservation Road Race tomorrow, December 11th, as the world marks International Mountain Day.
Athletics Kenya (AK) Bungoma County and the Chepkitale Indigenous People Development Project (CIPDP) have partnered to stage the annual event, which will start at Kaptama Market and finish at the Kapsokwony Primary School grounds.
International Mountain Day highlights the critical role mountains play in sustaining life, while raising awareness of threats such as climate change. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which coordinates the global commemoration, emphasizes the need to protect mountain biodiversity, freshwater resources, and the livelihoods of mountain communities through innovation, adaptation and youth engagement.
Bungoma AK chairman Shem Ominde said the race has become an important platform for promoting environmental conservation in mountain regions.
“We want to create awareness on the mountain ecosystem. December 11th is World Mountain Day, a day dedicated to the conservation of mountain ecology. That is what this race is all about. We started this event in 2023 and 2024, and now we are heading into the third edition,” said Ominde.
He noted that the race has already made significant impact, including talent identification, tree planting initiatives and increased awareness about conserving mountain ecosystems. Athletes also benefit from prize money.
“We are creating awareness not just among people in the mountain but also other areas. For athletes, we award prizes from position one to eight, with the winner receiving KSh 20,000 and the eighth finisher earning KSh 4,000. The longest race is 10km, followed by the 5km, 2km and the kids’ race. The 10km will start at Kaptama Market and end at Kapsokwony Primary School,” he added.
CIPDP head of project Fred Kibelio, who leads the organizing team, said sports have become a powerful tool for educating communities about forest conservation.
“We want to see how we can use sports to bring people together to raise awareness on forest conservation. Through such initiatives, we are getting encouraging feedback both from the mountain communities and other parts of Trans Nzoia where this forest ecosystem also needs protection. More partners are coming on board to support this program,” said Kibelio.