Athletics stars are set to conquer Iten International Marathon’s Chororget-Iten course on Sunday.
On Thursday, as the clock ticked towards the battle for honours, athletes who have registered for the contest said they were ready to write history.
At the Iten International Marathon, enthusiasts say, the best athletes on race day savour hard-fought victories.
Over the last three years, athletes and fans alike are contended with the fact that there are no pre-race favourites and that any of the registered stars can pull a major surprise at the Home of Champions.
Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp
Big names and upcoming athletes will be taking the high altitude 42km and 10km courses in Iten, with masters legends racing for glory in 5km.
An athlete such as Ednah Kimitei, who has been a constant figure at Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon – finishing ninth last year and not managing to secure a podium position in 2019 and in the 2017 half marathon is among contenders for the crown.
This Sunday, Kimitei will be looking to shine at the Iten International Marathon, a race being staged in her training base.
“I will be running my debut in Iten and this time, my eyes are set on the prize money. I understand that the course is hard and the competition is tough but I have trained well and only hoping to run a good race and of course, the target is on the prize money,” Kimitei told Standard Sports yesterday.
Kimitei is making a comeback after a nagging injury which crushed her dream of shining at the 2025 Nairobi City (Expressway) Marathon in October.
Kimitei emerged victorious in the 2019 Jersey Marathon and has finished in the top ten in races such as Belfast (2019) and Dodoma (2024) among other international competitions.
Ezekiel Kiprais is also harbouring a dream of writing a chapter in his marathon career when he lines up in the men’s marathon.
Kiprais, an upcoming marathoner, says he will be using the Iten 42km contest to cement his steady rise from cross country and shorter road races to the classic distance.
For months, he prepared for the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon which was scheduled for October 26, but could not register within the deadline.
Like Kimitei, Kiprais is recovering from an harm string injury which kept him out of competition this year and is making his Iten Marathon debut.
While training in Iten, he says, he watched peers battle it out for honours in the Iten International Marathon and he is confident running on the challenging course like them.
“I have trained for between four to five months because initially, I was preparing for Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon but the registration closed earlier than I expected and I had to set my sights on Iten Marathon,” said Kiprais.
The Iten-based athlete added: “I am ready for the challenge on Sunday. Everyone is preparing for a podium position and the competition is expected to be tough. I ran the Baringo Half Marathon last year but later picked an injury. I have fully recovered and I’m hoping to run an impressive race on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, organisers said all was set for the third edition, an event which is expected to attract over 1500 elite athletes and hundreds of masters racers as well as fun runners.
Elgeyo Marakwet County said this year’s event will serve as a memorial race for more than 40 people who perished in disastrous mudslides on November 1. The action will be live on KTN.
ITEN INTERNATIONAL MARATHON IN SUMMARY:
Inaugural edition: 2022
Theme: Run for Climate Resilience
Top 20 athletes will be awarded
Winning prize money for the marathon: Sh1 million in each category
42km course: Chororget-Iten
Elite races: 42km, 10km
Masters and fun races: 5km
Position two prize money: Sh750,000
Position three prize money: Sh500,000