Top athletes are set to battle for top title as Chemususu half marathon returns this Saturday in Eldama Ravine, Baringo County.
Race director Mathew Birir said that they are preparing to host about a 1,000 athletes with good prizes on offer with the aim of conserving Chemususu Dam among other activities.
the main race is the 21km but we will also have the 5km fun race and senior athletes who are 71 years and above who will be earning some cash prizes among other goodies.
The half marathon will start at the Eldama Ravine centre past Baringo Boys to Chmususu primary school
“We are running with a purpose of conservation of Chemususu Dam, to improve health because the change of weather causes a lot of disease. We also want to teach the locals the importance of the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), education schemes to help bright students in the society,” said Birir.
Apart from conservation, he said that want to establish a talent centre and set up an academy, not the athletes training camp.
“For us we want to set up an academy not a training camp because with an academy, we are able to educate many athletes unlike in camps where it is all about running,” he said.
The race returned after two years with coronavirus where newly crowned Los Angeles marathon champion Delvine Meringor and Bernard Ng’eno were the champion in women’s and men’s race respectively.
The duo defended their 2018 titles. Meringor won in 1:15.02 followed by Sharon Cherop (1:15.33) and Nancy jelangat topping the podium in 1:15.40 while Ng’eno cut the tape in 1:04.58 followed by Leonard Lagat (1:05.15) and Samuel Kiplimo in 1:05.25.