Over 1,000 athletes have registered for the first Nairobi voter registration sensitisation IEBC 10km road race this Sunday.

Race director, John Mwithiga, yesterday said they expected the turnout to grow further going by the interest from elite and fun runners. The said the race, which will also feature junior runners, has a top cash prize of Sh40,000 and free t-shirts for all participants. Mwithiga said the city event will raise the bar ahead of similar races in Eldoret and Mombasa. The meeting will start and end at the expansive Makongeni Railways staff quarters and will use Jogoo Road and adjacent feeder roads. "Preparations are at an advanced stage and the race will coincide with voter registration at the venue," he noted. He said the race will act as a season-ender in Nairobi as next on AK calendar will be the national cross country championships in February.

Mwithiga said elite athletes from the disciplined forces and Ngong Hills town-based clubs are expected to give the race a sense of class. Several VIPs have also shown interest in taking part in the race which has been sanctioned by Athletics Kenya.

The IEBC held its first race last Sunday in Nyeri which attracted very many athletes. On Sunday a bicycle race will be held in Kakamega. Dubbed Tuko Mbio na Kura, the participants are expected to use their voters' card as entry for the event with a special dispensation given to junior runners, according to the organisers, IEBC.