2013 Kenya Airways Maasai Marathon to be held October 5th

Image - Maasai Mara Serian Camp 

Preparations have been finalized for the Kenya Airways Maasai Marathon 2013 that is slated for this Saturday, October 5, 2013.

Sponsored by the national carrier to the tune of KSh 58 million, this year’s edition of the marathon that is the biggest in East Africa, has attracted over 1,000 participants, both local and international. Already, registration for the marathon has been closed.

Kenya Airways’ Chief Executive Officer and Group Managing Director Titus Naikuni said that the airline is looking forward to welcoming the participants to the marathon, which has distinguished itself as a key fixture in the sports calendar since its inception in 2009.

“The Kenya Airways Maasai Mara Marathon has always been an important event to us because of the role it plays in not only nurturing and promoting talent, but also providing an avenue for spurring development in the societies that we operate in,” Dr Naikuni added.

The Kenya Airways Maasai Mara Marathon 2013, a joint initiative of the airline with the Lemek Conservancy Council, will also commemorate Kenya’s 50^th anniversary this year.

The top five winners in this year’s marathon, which includes a 21 kilometer half marathon race for individual runners and a five kilometer fun run for individual runners or corporate teams, will be sponsored by Kenya Airways to participate in the London Marathon 2014.

The funds raised in the event will go towards addressing shortfalls in education facilities, access to medical infrastructure, improvement of sanitation utilities, anti-poaching projects and provision of clean drinking water to its residents.

Proceeds from last year’s marathon went towards a dining hall and dormitory construction project in Namunyak Girls Secondary school in Lemek, which is aimed at enhancing the educational experience for Lemek Girls who drop out of school due to long distance travel and the pastoralist way of life.

The Kenya Airways Maasai Mara Marathon has in the past been used by runners to hone their skills, with many of them proceeding to successful International athletic careers.