W@ssup

The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Tusk, Safaricom PLC and Huawei Technologies (Kenya) Co Ltd. on Tuesday March, 15, announced the return of the Lewa Safari Marathon, this time as a physical event after being held virtually for the past two years, on the June 25, 2022. Regarded as one of the toughest marathons in the world, runners of all abilities have taken part – from elite professionals like marathon world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge to amateur runners and even walkers.

Held on the Lewa Conservancy, a UNESCO World Heritage, and co-organised by wildlife conservation charity Tusk, the marathon has for the past 23 years allowed participants from all over the globe to compete in an internationally acclaimed annual event whilst running through one of Africa’s most breath-taking wildlife conservancies. It has also been a vehicle for the advancement of education, healthcare and conservation efforts in Kenya, raising over USD 8,600,000 (Sh0.984billion) for these causes since the year 2000. As lead co-sponsors, Safaricom and Huawei have continued to partner in supporting the marathon in its evolution. This year, other event sponsors will include Kenya Breweries Limited as well as Tetra Pak Ltd.

Speaking at the marathon launch, Mike Watson, CEO of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy promised that while still providing an exciting and exhilarating marathon experience, this year’s event aims to be the most environmentally friendly Lewa has hosted to date. “This drive is inspired by the urgent need to reduce our carbon footprint, which aligns with our ethos and standards as we strive to be a model for biodiversity and ecosystem preservation,” he added.

Also at the launch, Charlie Mayhew, the CEO of Tusk expressed his joy at being able to bring this one-of-a-kind event back to Kenya. “The Lewa Safari Marathon has a 20-year legacy of drawing runners from around the world to raise significant funds for a wide range of conservation, education and community initiatives across Kenya. We are immensely grateful to Safaricom and Huawei once again for their generous sponsorship of the marathon, as well as to Kenya Breweries Limited and Tetra Pak Ltd for their support,” Mayhew noted.

Also present at the event was Fiona Pan, Huawei Deputy CEO, Public Affairs, who reiterated their continued support of this key activity, stating their commitment to environmental sustainability as a key pillar of the company’s sustainability strategy. This year’s marathon will be held at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy on June 25. Registrations will open online at lewasafarimarathon.co.ke at 8:30 am on Wednesday, March 23. Please contact marathon@lewa.org for any queries on the race.