Mercy Kwambai will be looking to defend her title at the Leva Marathon

Mercy Kwambai will be looking to defend her title in the 25th edition of the Leva Marathon this Saturday. Mercy Kwambai is the favorite to retain her title as the event returns after a one-year hiatus. In 2023, she finished in 2:48:35 hours, ahead of Zeddi Jerop (2:52:54 hours) and former champion Fridah Lodepa (3:04:32 hours).

The event was cancelled last year due to nationwide protests by Gen Z. This year, the marathon attracted over 1,400 participants, including Paralympic Games icon Henry Wanyoike.

The race, themed “Connecting Generations Through 25 Years of Conservation”, will feature a marathon (42km), half marathon, corporate 10km run and kids’ 5km run. The organizers are aiming to raise 140 million shillings for wildlife conservation.

Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said: “The Lewa Safari Marathon embodies the true spirit of Safaricom’s mission to transform lives by making a meaningful impact on the community. As one of the key partners, we are proud of the impact this marathon has had over the past 25 years, a journey we have taken together, especially as we also celebrate our silver jubilee this year”.