The event is expected to bring together elite athletes as well as runners from local universities
Organisers of the eighth edition of the Mau-Egerton Cross Country Championship are expecting over 5,000 participants with more than Sh2 million in prizes to be won.
Athletics Kenya officials are expected to tour Egerton University’s sports grounds at the Njoro Main Campus in Nakuru where the event is to be held on February 25.
According to a programme issued by the university’s Directorate of Marketing and Resource Mobilization, participants will compete in the senior 10km for men and women as well as the junior 8km.
Others are the 4km race for corporate teams, Egerton university alumni and men over 45 years, the 2km race for women above 35 years and children between 5yrs and 8yrs and the 1km race for Grades 1-4 pupils and Egerton university staff above 55 years.
The event, supported by a number of corporates and State agencies is an initiative of Egerton University inaugurated in 2014 to create environmental awareness and conserve the River Njoro ecosystem and the Mau Forest.
Among the sponsors are the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Water Towers Agency (KWTA), APA Insurance, Njoro River Rehabilitation Project (NRRP), county governments of Nakuru and Narok and the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB).
River Njoro also known as Ndarugu River provides water for domestic use and agricultural purposes to many residents along its 80-kilometre causeway and is the main feeder to Lake Nakuru.
During the event, the staff together with students of Egerton University will plant Bamboo seedlings and indigenous trees.
Over the past seven years, APA has partnered with Egerton University to plant indigenous trees at Ngongeri Park to restore the riparian forest vegetation along the middle section of Njoro River.
The event is expected to bring together elite athletes and runners from local universities.
Others supporting the event are the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), AAR Health Care, and St John’s Ambulance and Athletics Kenya (AK).
Source: MY Gov