Running News Daily

2022 Lewa Marathon goes in-person after two-year hiatus

Athletes and fans from Kenya and beyond can look forward to a fun-filled June after the planned return of the Lewa Marathon. 

The 23-year-old race, which has been held virtually for the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will be staged on June 25 at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. 

Chief executive officer of the conservancy, Mike Watson, expects the event to be action-packed and to intensify its efforts towards the fight against climate change. 

"While still providing an exciting and exhilarating marathon experience, the Lewa Safari Marathon 2022 aims to be the most environmentally friendly event Lewa has hosted to date,” Watson said. 

He described the marathon as an example of the role sports can play in enhancing environmental change. 

"This drive is inspired by the urgent need to reduce our carbon footprint, which aligns with our ethos and standards as we strive to be a model for biodiversity and ecosystem preservation," he said. 

Watson was speaking during the launch of the annual marathon, which will be sponsored by various institutions, including Safaricom, Huawei, Kenya Breweries Limited, and Tetra Pak. 

Speaking at the same event, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa echoed Watson's comments, saying sports has the ability to transform people's lives for the better. 

"The Lewa Safari Marathon brings together three things that we really care about as a company; Sports, Community, and Conservation. We remain committed to supporting the marathon because we have seen how it continues to transform lives and that speaks to the essence of our purpose,” Ndegwa said. 

Huawei's deputy CEO for public affairs, Fiona Pan, said: "Environmental sustainability is a key pillar of Huawei’s sustainability strategy and that is why this marathon is and continues to be a key activity that we support together with our partner Safaricom.”