Lewa Marathon targets to raise Sh100m this year

Registration for the 18th Safaricom Lewa Marathon to be run on June 24 at the Lewa Conservancy starts Thursday with organisers targeting to raise Sh100 million from registration fees and sponsorship.

Safaricom’s director for strategy and innovation Joseph Ogutu disclosed on Wednesday they will once again target a field of 1,400 runners where entry for full marathon (42 kilometres) and half marathon (21 kilometres) is Sh15,000 per person and Sh3,000 for the children’s five-kilometre race.

Of the Sh15,000, Sh10,000 will be a donation towards the marathon’s fund-raising goal.

Ogutu said they raised Sh62 million for the conservation, protection of wildlife and community work last year, which bright to a total of $6,100,000 (Sh 610 million) raised since the race’s inception in 2000.

Ogutu noted that registration be on a first-come-first-served format, adding that registration forms are available on the Safaricom website: www.safaricom.co.ke/safaricommarathon.

Ogutu noted that people can enter as a group, especially in the half marathon race, but each participant must fill the forms individually.

“We shall be very much delighted to raise $1million (Sh100 million) this year since we know it will go to a worthy course that has continued to transform lives of our people while protecting the wildlife and environment again,” said Ogutu during the launch of this year’s event at the Michael Joseph Centre at Safaricom’s Nairobi headquarters.

Ogutu noted that the initiative has widened its scope to benefit more what with Local Ocean Trust in Mombasa and Kajiado Morans Group joining the group of beneficiaries last year.

“In Kajiado, we not only have a group of morans going through some life skills and entrepreneurship, we have been teaching them environment issues and how to safe guard wildlife,” Ogutu said.

“We are teaching children at the coastline on how to protect the endangered wildlife species. The response is enormous.”

Ogutu said there will be a self-catering campsite for those who will be seeking accommodation at Lewa and booking information is on the entry forms.
Lewa Conservancy chief executive officer Mike Watson said the initiative has continued to transform lives and the impact has been much higher than expected.

“From fewer wildlife being lost to poaching, to communities understanding the value of wildlife and actively participating in its protection, we are today enjoying the fruit of what began as a small idea around a campfire in 1999,” he said.

Watson noted that no rhino has been lost at Lewa Conversancy in the last three years, which is part of the over eight endangered, threatened and vulnerable species that are protected.

During the launch, Josephine Ekiru from Northern Rangelands Trust gave an inspiring account of how their partnership with Safaricom and Lewa Conservancy has helped transform the lives of warriors who were engaged in castle rustling and poaching among other bad activities in Northern Kenya.