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The organisers of Lotto Kass International Marathon have introduced a half marathon race to the 12th edition of the annual meet slated for November 17 astride the Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties.
And the event received a major boost yesterday when eight firms, including title sponsors Lotto Foundation ,unveiled a sponsorship of Sh20 million during the launch on Tuesday at the PanAfric Hotel, Nairobi.
Kass Media chief executive officer Julius Lamaon disclosed that they have done away with the 10-kilometre race, replacing it with the 21km after they received many requests from elite athletes wanting the half marathon.
The launch was attended by Nandi County Governor Stephen arap Sang, Uasin Gishu woman representative Gladys Shollei, Athletics Kenya president Jackson Tuwei and the event’s local organising committee chairman Abraham Mutai.
Lamaon said they are targeting to register 2,500 runners for the 21km race that will start next to the Koitalel Arap Samoei University College in Nandi and ending at the Eldoret Sports Club.
“We have received strong response and requests from a group of youngsters mainly from 10,000m track and cross country wanting to compete in 21km as a launch pad to full marathon,” said Lamaon.
“We thought it wise to give it a try since most of them are young and can’t effectively compete at high altitude in full marathon.”
Lamaon explained that the main, 42km race that targets to attract 1,200 runners and will start in Kapsabet, Nandi County, ending at the Eldoret Sports Club in Uasin Gishu County.
The five-kilometre fun and corporate run, the latter that is anticipated to draw the largest turnout of 6,000, will start outside the Barngetuny Plaza ending at the Eldoret Sports Club.
Lamaon presented a cheque of Sh8 million before receiving a sponsorship cheque of Sh6 million from Lotto Foundation chief operations officer, Maureen Anduro.
Equity Bank gave Sh2 million, Amaco Insurance Sh1.5million and Nandi County Government Sh 1 million.
Cooper Brand, Country Pension Fund and Silverstone Airlines gave Sh500,000 each.
Registration started two weeks ago at several points in Eldoret and Kapsabet and online at www.kassmarathon.com for Sh500.
Last year’s event that attracted 3,200 participants saw former world cross country junior bronze medallist Cynthia Jerop and Jackson Kemboi winning the women and men’s 42km races to pocket Sh1.5 million each.
Sang, who hailed the initiate that has helped produce top elite athletes like the new Chicago Marathon champions Brigid Kosgei and Lawrence Cherono and Frankfurt Marathon champion Valary Aiyabei, cashed on the occasion to urge to central government to speed up the renovation and construction of several stadiums.
“The national government must play their role in sports development in the country. We need also to diversify to other sports and end the overreliance on athletics for medals in international events,” said Sang.
“I also want to advise our athletes to avoid performance enhancing drugs.”
