By Joseph Mwangi
Nairobi, 14th June, 2023: Preparations for the third edition of the Sirkon Community Marathon are in top gear as organisers received the nod from Athletics Kenya to hold inaugural elite half marathon, Saturday.
The marathon, which is returning after a four year hiatus, will be held on Saturday 17th June, 2013 at Oloosirkon area in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County starting at the picturesque Leleshwa Get-Away hotel.
Organisers of the marathon today announced the return of the marathon, earlier a community fun run turned professional half marathon, after four years since the event was last held in 2018.
According to Fred Onkware, the chairman of the Sirkon Community Marathon, the event, which is held under the auspices of the Oloosirkon community, Kenya Wildlife Service and the Kajiado County Government will see elite athletes compete for a Ksh 250,000 purse in both men and women categories as the event received clearance from the national athletics federation, Athletics Kenya.
“We are excited that we now have the certificate from Athletics Kenya and we are all systems go for the marathon this year. The marathon will be held in Oloosirkon trading center and pass by the Nairobi national park. We are optimistic that working with elite athletics coach Benard Ouma of Rongai Athletics Club, we shall have elite athletes in the event and this is just the beginning of greater things to come,” Onkware said.
The marathon starts at Leleshwa Get-Away to the conservancy next to Masai Lodge. The athletes will then move to Ole Kasasi shopping center, turn to Nazarine University, on to Sigma feeds center, head to Oloosirkon trading center then to the Special Gauge Railway station (SRG) and back to Leleshwa Get-Away for the finish.
Organisers have partnered with the Kenya Wildlife Service which will deploy rangers to ensure that the runners do not encounter the dangers of wild animals attack long the route.
Winners of the elite half marathon in both men and women categories will go home with a Ksh 250,000 cash prize with the the second finishers getting Ksh 70,000 each. Third place finisher will go home with Ksh 30,000 as the cash prize trickles down to the tenth finisher.
Registrations for the marathon are ongoing on the ticketsasa website mtickets/sirkonrun.com and the run’s website www. Sirkonrun.co.ke Ticket go for Ksh 1500 for adults and Ksh 750 for students.
The marathon is held in support towards education, conservancy and climate change mitigation. So far, the marathon supports Oloorirkon Secondary school in education with the construction of a school library as well as tree planting initiatives at Sholinke Primary School and Emakoko primary school which both have received 1000 tree seedlings each.
