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Safaricom's Sambaza Kisii Road Race Next Friday

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Published on Tuesday, 17 July 2007 00:01
As a build-up to the October 7 Safaricom Kebirigo Road Race, Athletics Kenya has organised a 10-kilometre road race on the streets of Kisii town next Friday. "The Safaricom Sambaza Kisii 10km race will be a unique race run in the heart of Kisii town starting outside the Kisii General Hospital and ending outside the Kisii Police Station," Athletics Kenya's Nyanza South branch chairman Peter Angwenyi said yesterday.

The Kisii race will be followed by the Safaricom Simu ya Jamii 10km road race to be held in Gucha District on September 23.

Speaking at Safaricom House, Safaricom's Michael Joseph said the firm had taken up the sponsorship as part of the firm's commitment to support sports development in Kenya.

Joseph congratulated the Kenya athletics team for its commendable performance during the just concluded IAAF world championships in Helsinki, Finland.

"As a truly Kenyan company and going by Kenya's performance during the just concluded world athletics championship event in Helsinki, we are encouraged to support such talent-tapping events as the Kebirigo Marathon," Joseph said. "Safaricom will continue to support such initiatives that have a capacity to bridge the gap between the current crop of champions and the upcoming sportsmen."

The Nyamira based Kebirigo Athletics Club are the main organisers of the road races along with AK's Nyanza South branch. Athletes taking part in the Safaricom Sambaza Kisii 10km race and the Safaricom Simu ya Jamii Gucha 10km race stand a chance of booking themselves a place in the main Safaricom Kebirigo 10km Road Race.

In a unique model, athletes taking part in the Kisii and Gucha 10km road races will also scoop attractive local prizes ranging from livestock and farm produce.

Safaricom Kebirigo Road Race director Eric Matoke Atunga thanked Safaricom for the sponsorship at Monday's function also attended by the Kebirigo race's defending champion Onesmus Nyerere, currently based in The Netherlands.

"This is the first time a corporate company has come to this region to support athletics and we promise to organise first class races," Angwenyi said. Nyamira district produced the first gold medallist from Africa in the 10,000 metres - Naftali Temu - and also has many more talented athletes. The Kebirigo race will continue to tap this talent," Angwenyi added. Nyerere has won the last two editions of the men's race. Last year, Nyerere's winning time was 31 minutes 11.55 seconds. Alice Mogire is the women's defending champion having won last year's race in 38:34.22.