The highly anticipated Maasai Mara University Half Marathon is set to kick off on April 5, 2026, in Narok County, with more than 200 athletes expected to battle it out for top honors.
The KCB-sponsored event, themed “Promotion of Tourism, Cultural Preservation, Natural Resource Conservation, and Climate Action,” will feature multiple race categories, including 10km, 6km, 4km, and 2km.
In the highly competitive 10km race, participation will be open to all athletes. The 6km category, dubbed the “Comrade Race,” will feature university students competing for top positions, while staff will take part in a 4km race. A separate 4km race will be reserved for members of the local community.
The 2km VVIP race will bring together the Chancellor, Council members, sponsors, and other invited guests. In addition, children will also have a chance to participate, with races organized for ages 13 -15, 9 -12, and 5 – 8.
Speaking ahead of the event, Regional Business Lead, David Kemei, said: “Our support for the Maasai Mara University Half Marathon is part of KCB’s wider sports agenda, where we continue to invest in athletics, rugby, golf, motorsports, football, chess, and volleyball.
Over the last two decades, we have committed more than KShs. 5 billion towards sports development. This aligns with our brand purpose, For People.
For Better, as we use platforms like this marathon to empower communities, promote talent, and support sustainable initiatives such as tourism and conservation.”
The event aims to raise at least KShs. 10 million to support the tourism and hospitality sector through quality training, while strengthening the capacity of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality to produce highly skilled graduates for both local and international markets.
It also seeks to promote the preservation of indigenous culture and heritage, enhance cultural tourism and wellness through sports and traditional performances, and increase awareness around education and gender advocacy initiatives.
Additionally, the marathon will advance environmental management and conservation efforts, including planting over 1,000 trees as part of the Mau Forest restoration programme, while sensitizing the community on climate action and promoting conservation within the Mau Complex.
This is in line with KCB’s sustainability agenda, where tree planting is one of the key focus areas. The Bank has an ambitious plan to plant 5 million trees by 2026.
So far, 1 million trees have been planted across the country. It also aligns with the government’s agenda to plant 15 billion trees by 2032.
