Nairobi — Will there be a prize money for the 17th edition of the Ndakaini Half Marathon?
This is the question that will be on the minds of thousands of athletes who are contemplating registering for the race, which will be held on September 16 in Ndakaini area in Murang'a county.
When quizzed on the same, IMG CEO Peter Gacheru was non-committal, noting that they are negotiating with several potential sponsors to come on board and inject more finances into the competition.
"We do have a number of sponsors lined up...we have a number of negotiations lined up. It was our intention to launch this marathon today as a purely, amateur recreational race. We know how the economy is at the moment but should we sign this with them (sponsorship deal), we will bring back the prize money to be what it was before," Gacheru said.
Should the race be held without prize money, it will be the third time in five years that winners of the two categories will go home penniless.
Gacheru bemoaned that the organisers - Ndakaini Dam Environmental Conservation Association (NDEKA) - find themselves in a similar situation right now but vowed that the two bodies will work relentlessly to return the competition to its glory days.
"The communication was very clear from the onset (in 2018 and 2019) that this was an amateur event for recreational runners. Some athletes came to compete expecting to receive prize monies but this was not the case. This year, we find ourselves in an almost similar situation. For us as a company, we wrote to the organisers requesting them to underwrite the organizational costs to ensure that the marathon stays alive," he said.
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Gacheru added: "Our aim is to bring the event back to its former glory and eventually transform it into a full, international marathon. We do appreciate the demand for more marathons in the considering that some of the big road races in the country have diminished. We have received inquiries from corporates."
IMG will sponsor the competition to a tune of Ksh 5million -- in kind.
Speaking at the same time, NDEKA chairman James Mukuna said they are targeting close to 4000 participants and urged as many runners as possible to register for the race.
"In addition, this year, we are expanding our focus to include promoting sports talent at the grassroots level; being aware that there is a need for a holistic approach to sports development. We expect at least 3,000 participants in this year's edition as we look to take the event to an even higher level than it was before," Mukuna said.
He also spoke of the environmental theme of the race:
"We very excited to once again bring this annual sporting event after three years hiatus that was occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. The steady growth of this event has been central in raising funds for conservation of the environment around the Ndakaini Dam, a major water source for over four million Kenyans," Mukuna said.
Those interested in running in the marathon have until first week of September to confirm their participation before registration closes.
There will be three categories of competition including 21km, 10km and the 5km fun run.
