Eldoret City Marathon Management has signed a ground-breaking partnership agreement with the Great Ethiopian Run in order to support its mission of nurturing and growing young talents and running for climate action.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Eldoret City Race Director Moses Tanui and Dagmawit Amare, The Managing Director (MD) of the Great Ethiopian Run, an event witnessed by the State Department for Sports Principal Secretary , Elijah Mwangi , Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei and a delegation of 30 staff members and runners from Addis Ababa who visited Eldoret as part of the partnership agreement and to participate in the 6th Edition of the Eldoret City Marathon 2025.
The Sports PS lauded the partnership between the two races noting that it will play a pivotal role in nurturing and supporting talents of young athletes hailing from poor and vulnerable backgrounds who lack support to unlock their immense potential to realise their dreams.
“Eldoret City Marathon will be able to learn how the great Ethiopia Run made successful steps for the last 25 years. This year Eldoret Marathon registered 1500 runners while its Ethiopian Counterpart has registered 50,000, so what can we learn from that?” asked the PS.
He assured the winners in the 6th Edition of the Eldoret City Marathon held on Sunday April 27, 2025, that the government will offer them full sponsorship to take part in the great Ethiopia run slated for November this year, which will be part of exposure for the young athletes.
“As a ministry we identify and nurture talents, and this is one of the ways of doing that,” added PS Mwangi.
Mwangi assured the winners their prize money is guaranteed and it will only take a few days for them to receive the payment after the Anti-doping team gives clearance on their doping status.
He further reaffirmed the government’s commitment to support sports in the country by establishing sports stadia in every ward across the 290 constituencies to provide a grassroots level sports infrastructure for all youth and promote sporting talents at a local level.
Tanui one of the celebrated Kenyan legendary athletes of the 1990s, having become the first athlete to run under one hour for the half-marathon and a former world champion over 10,000 metres from the 1991 IAAF World Championships said that the MoU aims to facilitate exchange of athletes and event management expertise at both events.
“This is all about friendship between two great running nations, both our companies share a mission to uplift athletics in the region,” said Tanui.
The Eldoret City Marathon, one of the highest paying races in Kenya’s annual race calendar, comprises a full marathon covering 42 kilometers and a 10km fun race for both men and women.
In her remarks, Great Ethiopian Run MD lauded the deal which she said will boost sports tourism in the Eastern Africa region while at the same time promoting regional peace and unity.
“This is already a special year for us as we prepare to stage the 25th edition of our annual international 10km road race in November. This new partnership will strengthen the links we already share with Kenyan athletes and running events and help to raise the profile of our events in the region,” said Dagmawit.
By Ekuwam Sylvester
