Ngong based athlete George Nyagetari is the winner of the 16th edition of the Ndakaini Half Marathon after clocking a time of 1:10:32 in the 21-kilometre race.
The race saw the first and second runner-up register times of 1:11:28 and 1:12:28 respectively.
Speaking after the race, George – who made his debut at this year’s marathon – said he was happy with Saturday’s victory, adding that he will now focus his attention on the remainder of the season.
“It was a tough race, but I have prepared myself for this kind of terrain. I am deligted to have the victory on my first outing here and look forward to the remainder of the year,” he said.
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The women category was won by Rebecca Wanjiru from Nyadarua who clocked 1:45:28 while the first and second runner-up registered 1:56:58 and 1:59:05 respectively.
The 10-kilometre race was won by Peter Wahome and Evalyne Kamau while the 5-kilometer race was won by Johnson Mbugua and Faith Kyala.
In the subsequent 10KMs corporate race, Timaflor were winners with a combined 31 points while the Kenya Forest Service team came in second as the Citizen TV team finished third.
The annual Ndakaini Half Marathon which is now in its 16th year was started under the auspices of the Ndakaini Dam Environment Conservation Association (NDEKA) with a purpose of raising funds towards conserving Ndakaini Dam’s catchment area.
The event features the challenging 21km race, the scenic 10km course and the 5km family fun run.
Speaking about the event, Ndakaini Environmental Conservation Association (NDEKA) Sports Chairman, James Mukuna, said that the 16th edition was successful after the number of the participants increased from 1500 in 2018 to 2000 this year. He added that the marathon is a good family fun day that encourages sports and brings people of different ages from different parts of the country together.
“We are proud to continue hosting the Ndakaini Halfarathon, this marathon has been instrumental in ensuring that the Ndakaini Dam catchment is conserved so as to ensure that people continue to enjoy its benefits. Apart from conservation as many know, this Marathon has over the years been considered as one of the toughest half marathons in the world. It attracts both international and local athletes who test themselves on the hilly terrain” said Mr Mukuna
Ndakaini Dam is located at the foothills of the Aberdares, 70km from Nairobi, and is located in Gatanga, Murang’a County.
