More than 5,000 runners are expected to line up in Belgut, Kericho County, on Sunday, August 23, for the 2026 Belgut Half Marathon, an event that blends elite competition with a campaign to support education for needy children.
Founded by Belgut Member of Parliament Nelson Koech, the race raises funds for bursaries and scholarships targeting bright, needy, orphaned and vulnerable students, including beneficiaries at the Starehe Boys’ and Girls’ Centre and across the constituency.
The 21 kilometres category offers a top prize of KES 500,000, with cash rewards running through 10th place in both the men’s and women’s categories. The programme also features a 10km race and a 5km community fun run.
The 10km winner will pocket KES 100,000, while the second- and third-place finishers will earn KES 75,000 and KES 50,000, respectively.
Among the elite athletes registered are Sandra Felis Chebet, Diana Chekemoi, Miriam Chebet, Edwin Bett, Leonard Barsoton and Kyumbe Munguti, setting the stage for an exciting contest amid Kericho’s renowned tea plantations.
Koech, the event patron and an athletics enthusiast, disclosed that the race seeks to harness sport as a vehicle for transforming lives through education, while also showcasing Belgut’s scenic highlands, rolling green hills and cool mountain climate.
Last year, Nicholas Kimeli won the men’s 21km title ahead of Justus Kiprop of Iten, with Wesley Yego third. Aisha Cheptengeny claimed the women’s 21km crown.
The 2026 edition is also expected to attract several of Kenya’s leading athletics stars as guests, including Faith Kipyegon, Eliud Kipchoge, Sheila Chepkurui, Timothy Cheruiyot, Mercy Cherono and Ferguson Rotich, among others.
