Elgeyo Marakwet to train over 500 athletics coaches

Athletes participate in men's 42km race during the 2023 Iten International Marathon. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

At least 500 athletics coaches are set to be trained in Elgeyo Marakwet County’s plan to make schools talent centres.

The County disclosed on Wednesday that the athletics coaches would be trained during the August holiday.

Governor Wisley Rotich said his administration was working with the Ministry of Sports to nurture talents with the support of the coaches, majority of them teachers.

He said the last two editions of Iten International Marathon positioned Iten as one of the world’s athletics training destinations.

“We incubated and executed the Iten International Marathon which we have successfully hosted for two consecutive years, attracting a lot of interest from both local and international athletes, scouts, sports companies as well as corporate bodies,” Rotich said.

He said a total of 2,245 athletes took part in the two editions held in 2022 and 2023 owing to the rich prize money.

“This Marathon is all about empowering our athletes economically, developing the athletics sports and also marketing our County to the world and I can state, without doubt, that it is working,” he told the Assembly.

Rotich said the County empowered local athletes to participate in County regional track and field championships where 550 athletes from the athletics powerhouse lined up.

“We also sent 117 athletes from 13 wards to participate in the Kenya Youth Inter-County Sports Association (KYISA) games held in Tharaka Nithi County as well as 96 staff to the Kenya Inter-County Sports and Cultural Association (KICOSCA) games in Meru County,” he said.

On sports tourism, Rotich said, the County hosted the first cycling event which attracted over 300 cyclists.

“Going forward this will be an annual event given that Iten will remain series 2 of the 4 in the country. With these there is an upcoming cycling academy that will help nurture and develop cycling in the county.

We also hosted the inaugural Iten Trail Run with the running clinic which saw athletes participate and get cash prizes,” he stated.

This season, the Governor told Ward reps, the County held both the county and North Rift Regional Track and Field championship in Iten. “Our team is currently in Ulinzi Stadium for the National championship and we believe we will make the national team.”