This year’s Eldoret City Marathon, scheduled for October 1st, has been postponed indefinitely for lack of a title sponsor.
This follows the withdrawal of the county government of Uasin Gishu as the title sponsor and the delay in the arrival of running merchandise shipped from Dubai, according to race director Moses Tanui.
The two-time Boston Marathon champion said in a statement that though they were dedicated to making the race a reality, it would only be possible when they had secured the necessary funds and ensured that the prize money due to the winners after the race was safely deposited in the bank account.
The decision to postpone this year’s event does not mark the end of the marathon event, he emphasised.
“We are fully dedicated to making this race a reality, but only when we have secured the necessary funds is it our responsibility to guarantee that the efforts of our athletes are justly rewarded,” added Tanui.
He added that the decision to postpone the event was not made lightly and expressed regret that they found themselves in an unfortunate situation.
“As many of you are aware, we have been working diligently towards organising an exceptional marathon event that would showcase the extraordinary talent and determination of our athletes; unfortunately, we have experienced delays in the arrival of running merchandise that we expected to arrive on Monday and also the withdrawal of the title sponsor,” he explained.
Tanui said that though they scouted for a new title sponsor, there had been a delay in the completion of the transaction to deposit the prize money required to ensure the race meets the high standards that both athletes and fans rightfully expect.
He added that the postponement was necessary to protect the interests of the athletes. “As a former athlete who understands the immense effort that goes into training and preparation, I cannot in good conscience allow the race to proceed without assurance that the prize money will be available to honour the victors.”
He, however, assured athletes who had registered for the race that the organisers were committed to ensuring prompt refunds of all registration fees, said an apologetic Tanui.
“We recognise the sacrifice made, the countless hours of training, and the dreams of achieving greatness associated with such an event, and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this postponement may cause,” he added.
By Kiptanui Cherono
