Mercy Kwambai and Samson Lemayan are the winners of the 25th Edition of the Lewa Safari Marathon which was held today at the Lewa Conservancy in Meru County.
Thirty-six-year-old Kwambai, a mother of two, clocked 2:47:17 to win the women’s 42km race, successfully defending her title for the second year consecutively. Finishing in second and third place were Evaline Lagat and Monica Watetu, who posted times of 3:02:31 and 3:20:21 respectively.
“It is exciting to defend my title for the second year. The course was quite hot and tough, with some challenging hilly terrain, but thanks to good preparation and training, I managed to win the race. This is my third time participating in this event, my first was in 2022, where I finished second in the half marathon. I use this race to prepare for other competitions, and I am glad for the positive impact it creates in the community,” said Mercy Kwambai.
Samson Lemayan from Maralal emerged the winner in the men’s race after crossing the finish line with a time of 2:28:35. Close behind were John Musee and Joseph Kariuki, who settled for second and third place who clocked 2:29:18 and 2:29:36 respectively.
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“The first time I participated in this event was in 2018. I didn’t perform well then, but today I’m glad to have emerged as the overall winner. It’s really exciting to see how the marathon has grown and the impact it is creating in the community. I want to commend the organizers and sponsors like Safaricom for making this event a big success,” said Samson Lemayan.
The 21km men’s category was claimed by Michael Kamau with a time of 1:06:37. Justine Lelitan and Simon Saidimu followed closely, finishing in 1:07:48 and 1:08:07 respectively.
In the 21km women’s category, Mary Waithera, who was in her best form, carried the day with a time of 1:18:27. Pauline Ngigi and Susan Wanjiru secured second and third place with times of 1:28:21 and 1:29:04 respectively.
In the 10km corporate race, Reuben Ng’ang’a and Sara Van Der Laan were the winners in the men’s and women’s categories respectively.
Winners of the 42km and 21km races each walked away with KES 150,000. The first runners-up took home KES 80,000 each, while the second runners-up received KES 60,000 each.
“Thank you to all the winners and participants of this year’s Lewa Safari Marathon. As one of the key partners, we are proud of the impact the marathon has made over the past 25 years. We remain committed to this initiative, which supports wildlife conservation while also transforming lives.” Said Dr. Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom PLC CEO.
This year’s marathon attracted over 1,400 participants, both local and international. Since its inception, the marathon has raised over $9 million with the funds going to support wildlife conservation.
“As we face unprecedented threats to our planet, it is essential that we take action to protect our wildlife and their habitats. Today’s Lewa Safari Marathon participants have seized the opportunity to challenge themselves and connect with nature. They have also made a positive impact on the communities and wildlife of northern Kenya and beyond. Thank you to everyone who took part in this truly challenging event, Kenya’s most spectacular wildlife conservancy.” Said Mike Watson, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy CEO
The event was mainly sponsored by Safaricom and Huawei. Other sponsors this year included Access Bank, ICEA Lion, Highlands, AMREF, Elewana, Safarilink, GardaWorld, Tropical Heat, and African Originals.
