Running for a Greener Future: Vihiga County to host first regional marathon

The marathon will start at 6:00 AM at Vihiga High School

By Steve UMIDHA Last updated Sep 29, 2025

By Steve UMIDHA

From Left: Director Parliamentary Affairs to the office of PCS Marrimoi Kiprop, AK President Jackson Tuwei, PCS Musalia Mudavadi and Victor Enzoveri, the Resource Mobilization Officer for the Maragoli Hills Community Forest Association (CFA)

Vihiga County will host the Inaugural Maragoli Hills Forest Marathon on October 10, 2025, bringing together government agencies, civil society groups, and hundreds of participants drawn from the Western region, in a marathon aimed at promoting environmental awareness, cleaner air, and a greener province.

The event is centered around ‘Run for a Greener Future’ and will coincide with Mazingira Day – a public holiday in Kenya celebrated each year on October 10, honoring former Kenyan President Daniel Moi. It is part of the country’s journey to restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded land and achieve the 15 billion Tree Growing Programme by 2032.

A first-of-its-kind marathon, the event is being put together in conjunction with Athletics Kenya (AK), the governing body for the sport of athletics in Kenya, and the Maragoli Hills Community Forest Association as the convener.

Speaking ahead of the event, Victor Enzoveri, the Resource Mobilization Officer for the Maragoli Hills Community Forest Association (CFA) and a key figure in the association’s efforts to rehabilitate and conserve the Maragoli Hills forest, said this year’s event, to be graced by the Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) Musalia Mudavadi as the chief patron, also serves as a platform to identify future talents of runners, as well as a tourism and cultural affair for the region.

“We aim to conserve the forest, that is the primary goal, and the plan is to have it remain an annual activity in the AK calendar. It is a full marathon, which is a 42-kilometer race with record-eligible status, among other categories, with the winner taking home Kes1 million,” said Enzoveri.

Adding that the course will meet specific criteria, including a measured distance, a maximum 50% difference between start and finish points, and an average elevation drop of no more than 1 meter per kilometer, with Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge named the marathon’s goodwill ambassador.

He led a significant tree planting exercise on 7 acres in 2020, raising 4,000 native seedlings with support from well-wishers and Daystar University students, aiming to combat soil erosion and increase the area’s vegetative cover.